


One Hundred Ways

by Orangeships



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), I promise, Lawyer Levi, Literally everybody - Freeform, Love Triangle-ish, M/M, Or eren, Top Eren Yeager, Veterinarian Eren, a little bit present eruri, not by Levi, only in the beginning, past eruri, smut in later chapters, tw: emotional abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-08-17 14:10:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 42,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8147003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orangeships/pseuds/Orangeships
Summary: Levi is trying to get his life in order, and he thinks he has everything worked out, but then in walks Eren. Or: Eren spills coffee all over Levi and sends their worlds crashing, all in one morning.





	1. Don't Say Another Word

He lets his fingers sink into the mass of soft fur, well-groomed, the color of chocolate. The dog looks up at him, tongue lapping at the air. The animal’s body rises and falls with every labored breath. Eren sighs and pets the dog’s head affectionately before getting up. It’s eleven at night. He should be home, not waiting around in his office for a pet owner who clearly doesn’t give a shit.

When Eren met the guy this morning, there was already something off about him. Signs of neglect flew like red flags in front of Eren, but he ignored it. The dog had been in some sort of accident, and when Eren asked, the owner had shrugged, scowled, and snapped at Eren to “just take care of it.” Eren only puts up with shitty customers because he cares about the animals, his actual patients. The dog by his side whimpers, stretching his neck to look up at Eren.

“I know, buddy,” he says, reaching down to nuzzle the animal’s head with his hand. God, does he want to be home right now. He’s hungry. Hasn’t eaten since twelve, and hasn’t slept for more than eighteen hours. He gets up and grabs his phone, once again dialing the number the owner gave him that morning. It goes straight to voicemail. “Fuck it. I’m taking you home for tonight.” It’s unorthodox, and maybe illegal, but Eren doesn’t give a shit. He can’t leave the dog here and the douchebag of an owner isn’t showing up. Eren flips through the paperwork that the guy filled out, searching for any other number he can call. “Mr. Ackerman, you lazy asshole.”

“Rude.” The clipboard clatters to the floor and Eren looks up, stunned. A man is standing at the door, leaning on it to keep it propped open. He hasn’t even stepped fully into the veterinary office yet but he is already looking around with distaste. “Come here, Lincoln.” The German Shepherd limps over and shoves his nose into the man’s open palm.

“Who are you?” Eren asks, wary. The man he met this morning had long hair, an untrimmed beard, and perpetually furrowed brows. This man is short, intimidating in his fancy suit and shiny shoes. He glares at Eren with steel gray eyes, a color anyone can easily get lost in.

“Levi Ackerman. Lincoln’s my dog,” the man says. He kneels down to tie a collar around Lincoln’s neck. The dog drags its tongue up Levi’s face in approval. “Gross, you little shit.”

“The man that dropped him off-”

“Is my uncle.” Levi seems to be checking Lincoln over, surveying any injuries. Eren holds in a sigh of relief. “I asked him to watch over Lincoln while I was on a business trip,” Levi continues. “Why doesn’t he have a cast? I was told his leg was broken.”

“No, he only pulled a muscle. He’s fine; I’ve been taking care of him all day.” Eren smiles down at the dog, now happily panting next to his owner. “Here’s the bill.” Levi hands over a credit card instead of taking the bill Eren holds out to him, which makes the vet grimace. He’s no stranger to rich pet owners who’ll fork over whatever amount of money for their furry companions. But the way this guy is doing it, so cooly uncaring, makes Eren tick.

Eren slides the card then hands it back. Levi leaves the office without another word. Eren watches him from the window when Levi pauses in front of the clinic. The man ruffles Lincoln’s fur, then bends down and scoops up the dog. Eren’s jaw drops as he stares after Levi, who proceeds to carry his fully grown, seventy pound German Shepherd all the way to his car.

Well, at least now Eren doesn’t have to worry about Levi being a neglectful pet owner. What he _does_ have to worry about, though, are the friends that he skipped out on because he was here waiting for Levi to show up. Eren sends Mikasa and Armin another text, telling them that he’s on his way home and they can stop badgering him now. Eren loves them. They’re his best friends, have been since elementary school, but sometimes they overstep his boundaries, treat him like he’s still a kid.

The old blue Nissan sputters before starting as Eren slides into its driver’s seat. He should probably buy a new car, one that won’t die on him so often. But the Nissan has always been there, reliable and comforting with its pizza smell and weird mysterious stains. So Eren has attachment issues; sue him.

He eases open the apartment door and flicks on the lights.

It's been a month since his dad died, leaving Eren with Jaeger’s Veterinary Hospital and a bunch of debt. He’s been paying bills non stop, and despite the clinic’s elite clients, Eren can’t seem to understand where all the money’s gone. No, wait. That isn’t true. He knows exactly where all the money went. His dad was a gambler and an alcoholic. Most of the revenue was likely used to fill a bar’s pockets. Eren plops onto the couch and rubs his face with his hands. Under the darkness of his eyelids, he imagines a world where he’s financially stable and not living in a shitty apartment.

_Yeah right._

Maybe he should get a sugar daddy. It’s not the first time he’s considered it.

 _If only I didn’t like topping so much_.

He climbs to his feet and pads across the floor to the kitchen. The fridge is empty, so Eren grabs ramen from the cabinet and boils a pot of water. He might no longer be in college, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still living like a broke ass college student.

He eats the ramen on the couch, since he lacks a dining table. He has dinner with the tv on and Game of Thrones blasting, sirens and traffic sounds playing in the backdrop.

 

“Fuck off, Kenny.” Levi slams the door in his uncle’s face and rolls his eyes. Across the room, Lincoln cocks his head in judgement. “Don’t look at me like that. He can’t watch out for anyone but himself.” The dog stares and Levi feels like he’s being mocked. His suitcase is still sitting in the middle of the room, has been since he got home from the airport and threw it into the house before rushing over to the vet. Levi digs through it now, pulling out dirty laundry and setting it in front of him. His fingers shake. He stays there for a while, just sitting on the floor with his head in his hands and breathing. Heaving.

_Erwin should have said something. Erwin should have stopped me. Why didn’t-_

Lincoln comes up and rubs his side against Levi, curling around the man before trying to sneak a lick of his face. Levi wraps his arm around the dog and chuckles.

There’s not a lot in this world that he’s thankful for, except Lincoln. The dog was the first thing Levi bought fresh out of graduation. He still has pictures of puppy Lincoln hung all around the house. For the first few months, Levi followed the dog around with a camera and snapped pictures of almost everything Lincoln did. Hanji had laughed and teased him about it endlessly, but she smiled fondly at her friend’s happiness when she thought Levi wasn’t looking. Lincoln rolls onto his back and presents his belly for Levi to scratch.

Levi lets his fingers roam absentmindedly over Lincoln while he stares at his phone. Ever since he's gotten off the plane, hell ever since he _walked out of the hotel room_ , Levi’s been waiting for his phone to ring. For Erwin to call. To apologize. Levi replays their last encounter over and over again in his head, Erwin pulling away, Levi throwing things in a fit of anger, Erwin letting him go.

He is fucked up and he has fucked up in so many ways, but falling in love with his boss has got to be Levi’s biggest mistake. One Levi wants so desperately to take back. Oh how he wishes he can pull back all those nights of pining for a man that clearly doesn’t want him. At least not romantically. Erwin’s fine with fucking Levi, it’s just everything else about a relationship that the blond man doesn’t want. How Levi misses his teenage years, being able to get shit faced drunk and not worry about the consequences. Now he has work in the morning and bills to pay. Not to mention Kenny. Uncle Kenny used to be Levi’s parents’ problem, but since they died, Levi now has to deal with his deadbeat uncle. His mom used to joke that Kenny was once part of a mob, was actually its leader, and Levi doesn’t know how true that is, but Kenny certainly isn’t any mob leader now. Now he’s just an old man that comes around a few times asking for money.

“I tried to be nice and give him a job dogsitting. Look how great that turned out,” Levi mumbles to himself. He groans and pushes himself to his feet. Adulthood is just so damn _tiring_. Everything sucks. Lincoln joins Levi on the bed once the man throws himself onto the covers. The dog rubs his head into the sheets. Levi shoos him off.

“We’re not going to bed until I change the sheets and give you a bath, Linc.” From his spot on the floor, Lincoln hides his head beneath his paws and whimpers in disappointment.   

 

Eren swerves his way down the street, dodging past people who shoot him searing glares. He apologizes, trying his best to balance the tray of styrofoam coffee cups away from the crowd. He _hates_ rush hour, and he hates when Sasha ditches work so that he has to be the one to go on coffee runs. His phone starts vibrating in his pants, making him groan like he’s in anguish.

“What is it, Mikasa? I’m almost there,” he says once he has the phone pressed securely to his ear. A shiny black Tesla pulls up to the sidewalk and Eren pauses to stare. _Damn_.

“There’s a lady here asking questions about her horse.” Eren rolls his eyes.

“So answer them.”

“I am, but she’s arguing with me. How fast can you get here?” A man pushes past him, nearly knocking the tray of coffees out of his hand. Eren lowers the phone to glare at the man.

“Watch where you’re going!” Eren gets a middle finger in response. “Mikasa, just stall until I get there,” he says into the phone.

“I’m running out of ways to say ‘I’m the doctor here, so stop fucking arguing with me.’” Eren can hear her annoyance. He shakes his head in amusement and- walks straight into another person.  

Maybe Eren has bad reaction time, or maybe the lack of sleep is finally catching on, but he doesn’t do anything when he comes crashing into the shorter man. The coffee tray goes flying, styrofoam cups tipping over and plastic lids flying off. The two men end up on the ground, with Eren on top.

Levi swears he might commit murder right there. He’s wet, covered in coffee that’s somehow not burning off his skin, and there’s a stuttering idiot balanced on top of him. Eren starts dabbing at Levi’s shirt with napkins like that’s going to be much help while simultaneously apologizing and offering to pay for Levi’s dry cleaning.  

“Get the fuck off of me,” Levi huffs out. He gets up to his feet, face twisting into disgust at the state of his clothes.

“I’m so sorry. Holy shit, are you okay?” Eren keeps talking, asking ten different forms of essentially the same question. “Is everything alright? Does anything hurt? Did you hit your head?”

“Shut. Up.” Eren ceases talking immediately, blue green eyes going wide at Levi’s harsh tone. The shorter man glares at him, which makes Eren squirm uncomfortably. Don’t get him wrong, Eren _loves_ the shade of the man’s steel gray eyes, but _damn_ are they intense. “Fuck, it’s you. Of course it’s you. I have such shitty luck.” Levi groans, pulling off his suit jacket to assess the damage to his shirt. There’s a large brown stain on the front and it makes Levi look up at Eren with murderous intent.

“I’ll pay for it. How muc-”

“Six hundred dollars.” Eren chokes.

“What the fuck? Are you fucking kidding me?” he asks. Levi rolls his eyes.

“You’re a dumbass.”

“And you must be a walking sack of money, jesus christ. What, do you have bills just coming out your ass or something?” Eren asks, throwing up his hands in confusion. He drops them when a small trace of smile turns up the corners of Levi’s lips. Then Eren stares too long and the smile disappears. “So I can’t pay for the shirt. Um, I can give you a free visit to the clinic?”

“Yeah, fine.” Levi looks away when Eren starts beaming. He looks like Lincoln does when Levi asks him if he wants a treat. “Why were you running around with lukewarm coffee anyways?” Levi grumbles. Anything to get Eren to stop looking like _that_.

“Oh. It must have cooled. I walked like four blocks.”

“There’s a coffee shop next to the clinic, you idiot.”

“This one tastes better. And they have brownies.” Eren holds up the bad in his hand, which he thankfully didn’t send flying in his crash with Levi.

“Do you, um…” Levi makes a tch sound and pouts at the ground. Eren, of course, finds the look adorable. Wait, what? “Do you want a ride back?” Eren thinks it’s a joke, or a trap to get revenge on him for ruining Levi’s shirt, but the other man just looks grumpy, not vengeful.

“Yeah, thanks.” They walk a short distance to Levi’s car, which is, of fucking course, the Tesla Eren was admiring earlier. Eren slides into the passenger seat, marvelling at how nice the interior is and how this will most likely be the only time he’ll be in a car this expensive when he notices Levi who is still standing on the sidewalk, glaring down at his shirt. _Oh_. Eren reaches down to pull off his sweatshirt without a second thought. He hands it over to Levi, who looks at the garment like it’s an alien object.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Levi asks, but his tone is soft enough that Eren assumes he’s just confused. The cursing must be a norm with Levi.

“Get in the car and wear this. That shirt must be so uncomfortable.” Strangely, Levi obeys. He closes the door to the driver’s seat once he’s inside and begins undoing the buttons on his shirt. Eren swallows thickly and tears his eyes away. Nope. He totally does not want to see Levi’s smooth pale skin, or those muscles in Levi’s arm, or his abs. _Fuck_ _my life_. Eren fumbles with his phone instead, texting Mikasa an apology and assuring her that he’ll be there in a few minutes. Once Eren sees that Levi’s dressed in the corner of his eye, he looks over at the man. “That sweatshirt looks great on-”

“Don’t fucking say another word.”

They make the rest of the drive in silence. There’s tension in the car, and it interferes with Eren’s embracing of the moment. He finally gets to ride in a luxury car goddamnit. So why is his brain only thinking about the man in the seat next to him? To be fair, Levi looks so fuckable in Eren’s sweatshirt.

Wait, no. No, bad Eren. Levi totally doesn’t think of him that way. Plus, Eren just poured coffee all over the guy, it’s not really Eren’s best flirting technique.

When they pull up to the front of the clinic, Eren gingerly gets out of the car.

“Thanks for the ride,” he says, waving awkwardly.

“Yeah. I’ll… ” Levi glances down at the sweatshirt he’s wearing, dark green with the words “Jaeger’s Veterinary Hospital” printed across the front in white. Levi scowls. “I’ll come by tomorrow and return this to you.” Eren nods and Levi speeds off, both suddenly relieved that the tension filled air is finally cleared now that they’re separated. Now, Levi has to deal with walking into work late and wearing a fucking sweatshirt no less. Honestly, what corporate lawyer dresses like this?


	2. Go

“Petra, would you mind getting me a new suit at the usual place?” It’s the first thing Levi says to his secretary when he arrives at office. He feels so stupid standing there in in Eren’s sweatshirt, the sleeves draping over Levi’s hands. _Please let Hanji be anywhere but here_. Levi honestly doesn’t think he can handle her freaking out about his clothes right now. He waves a hand in front of Petra’s face but the woman stands there, blankly staring at Levi with a confused look. “What’s wrong with you?” She snaps awake and purses her lips into a thin line. He knows it’s to keep herself from bursting out laughing. “Just get me a change of clothes.”

Levi’s office is plain, bland. The walls are a generic pale gray and he hadn’t bothered to hang up any pictures or posters like everyone else had. Hanji’s office looks like a Michaels Arts and Craft exploded in it. Levi only took one step inside before vowing to never enter again. One glance at the fuzzy pink chair sitting in the center of the room was enough for him. He plops down on his own, more conservative and leather, armchair and consider digging into that bottle of vodka he has hidden in his desk drawer. Then the door to his office slams open and Levi groans in despair.

“Get _out_ , shitty glasses. I do not need this today.” He jabs a finger violently at the door, which doesn’t affect Hanji at all. She grins, manic and frightening, before edging closer to the grumpy man sending her death glares.

“I saw you walk in on the security footage,” she says. _Fuck_. Levi rubs his face with his hands and tries his best to hide the words on the sweatshirt. He should have just worn the damn coffee stained shirt. Levi crosses his arms and slumps into the seat.

“What were you doing in the security room?” he asks, more to change the topic than to question her activities.

“Going over security with Moblit. What were you doing coming in late dressed in another man’s shirt?” She’s outright chuckling now. Levi scowls.

“Why would you assume it’s another man’s?” he grumbles. Hanji is already on the floor, doubling over in laughter at the look on Levi’s face.

“Cause it can’t be a woman’s, silly. You’re so fucking gay!” He stands up and grabs her hand. Levi drags a delirious Hanji over to the doorway while mumbling curses at her under his breath. “Tell me who the lucky guy is!” she demands. Hanji lets herself be dragged, but then she looks up and catches sight of Levi’s chest. Of the bold white words written there. She wrangles herself free. Levi loses grip on Hanji’s arm and before he knows it, she bolts out of his office.

“You’re fucking insane!” he shouts after her, earning a few looks from the other employees. Levi backs into his office and shuts the door. He leans against it, breathes, considers warning Eren a maniac might visit his clinic. But that would mean calling Eren, and talking to Eren, and… Eren. Levi shrugs, wishes the brat the best of luck if Hanji does find him, and heads over to his desk. He’s pouring himself a glass when someone knocks on his door. Two taps. Levi calls out to let Petra know she can come in.

She lays out his new suit on the armchair, black with a white shirt and and a gray silk tie. It looks like heaven to him right now. A gift from an angel. Said angel stands hovering by the doorway, a small smirk on her pink lips.  

“Leave, Petra,” he warns. His tone is warm enough that she knows there’s no threat behind it. Not with her. “And thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sir. Nice sweatshirt,” Petra chirps. She closes the door before he can get a word in, and Levi wonders if the entire world’s out to make fun of him today. He still smells like coffee, with an underlying scent of sunflowers and forest. It must be the sweatshirt. He tugs it off and sets it aside. Eren’s scent has already stuck to Levi’s skin, and it makes him dizzy with a weird desire to see the veterinarian again. He picks up the sweatshirt, his excuse to see Eren, and chucks it across the room, as far away from him as he can get at the moment.

Levi’s done with romantic feelings and wanting to be loved. Erwin helped him decide that when he let Levi get on the plane.

 

“You never hang out with me anymore.” Eren scoffs. He's sticking straws into the mush of a chocolate cupcake Mikasa handed him when he walked in. Across from the table, Armin frowns. “I'm being serious.”

“You're acting like a clingy boyfriend,” Eren teases. The frown deepens on Armin’s face and his cheeks warm to a soft red.

“Mikasa agrees.”

“She agrees that you're acting like a clingy boyfriend?” Eren asks, laughing lightly.

“Eren,” Armin growls. Eren looks up at his friend who's trying his damn best to look intimidating.

“Sorry. I've been busy.” Eren shrugs. “I have a serious job now, in case you didn't notice.” A job that he should be getting back to. Eren looks around the restaurant, then back at Armin. “I should probably go back.”

“Yeah, me too.” Armin stands up, smoothing out his green apron.

“You know, if you ever get sick of working as a cashier, you can come work with me at the clinic.” Eren knows he doesn't have the financial means to hire Armin right now, but his friend looks so miserable in his “Rose Diner” uniform.

“Yeah, no thanks. I have a fear of cats.”

“Since when?”

“Since Jean brought home a stray and it treated me like scratching post.” They both remember that quite well. Their entire friend group remembers it. Armin wouldn’t stop complaining about it until Jean gave the cat away to some family friend. Jean was heartbroken, but Armin had scratches running up and down his arms that told them all it was the right thing to do.

“I’ll see you tonight.” Eren gives his short blond friend a hug, stopping to ruffle Armin’s hair before striding out the diner.

The clinic was packed all day with animals making a mess of the waiting room. Eren worked tirelessly until Mikasa shoved him out the door and sent him Armin’s way.

He takes in a breath of the chilled air. Autumn is his favorite season of the year; nothing beats the colors or the smells or the comfort of pumpkins and Halloween decorations lining window shops and front porches. Leaves carried by wind twirl in the air, a rainbow of reds, oranges, and yellows. When he was little, he used to chase after them while his mom watched, clapping her hand in delight every time he held up a leaf to show her. God, does Eren miss his parents. They left him alone but at least they passed away together. Eren still can’t look at planes the same way.

He turns a corner and catches sight of a chocolate brown tail peeking out from inside the clinic. The first thought he has is Levi’s name, the man’s pouting lips the only image in Eren’s mind.

But they _just_ saw each other that morning; Levi wouldn’t stop by again so soon. Regardless, Eren’s pace quickens as he dodges through the street. The only reason Levi would be there is to return Eren’s sweatshirt. Or maybe there’s something wrong with Lincoln. Although Eren certainly hopes the dog is okay, a part of him really wants to see Levi again.

He bursts through the clinic doors and stares at the German Shepherd sitting diligently besides a tall, brown haired woman in a fancy looking suit. The dog is definitely Lincoln. Eren can see his green collar hidden under that dark brown fur. But the woman isn’t Levi.

“Um, hi,” Eren says, raising his hand to offer a small wave. Maybe she’s Levi’s sister. _They look nothing alike, idiot_. He searches his head for something to say, but the only thing that comes up is, “she must be Levi’s girlfriend.”

“Hi! I’m Hanji.” The woman holds out her hand for Eren to shake. “Levi thought I should take Lincoln back for a checkup. He’s been limping and we were worried.” _Oh. “We.” So she’s the girlfriend. There goes that._

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do.” Eren fakes a smile and holds open his office door for Hanji and the dog to enter. It’s very clear that Lincoln isn’t limping. In fact, the German Shepherd seems to be doing just fine. He nuzzles his head against Eren’s leg as he passes and Eren intuitively reaches down to give the dog a pat. He goes through all the normal procedures in checking up a dog while Hanji sits back, watching.

“Is it just you that works here?” she asks, making Eren jump.

“Ah, no. Mikasa is our other vet and Sasha is the secretary,” he says. Eren realizes he didn’t see Sasha when he walked in. She must’ve left. It’s already dark out, and a quick glance at the clock confirms that it’s seven. He should be closing soon.

“But you’re the only guy?” Eren frowns at the question.

“Yes.”

“And it was you that took care of Lincoln last night?” Why? Did he do something wrong? He doesn’t usually get these kinds of questions from his customers. He nods anyways. A phone begins to ring and Hanji digs it out of her jacket pocket. Eren sees a brief flash of the caller ID, Levi. Hanji holds the device to her ear and bites down on her lip, a strange expression creeping across her face.

“Calm down, shorty. Lincoln’s with me.” The dog cocks his head at the sound of his name. Hanji’s light brown eyes flicker up at Eren, that strange expression still spread on her face. “I’ll bring him home soon, bye bye!” She hangs up the phone and beams up at Eren from her seat.

“Lincoln seems fine,” he says, then bends down to hand the dog a treat.  

“Okay. Thanks.” Hanji stands up, grabbing Lincoln’s leesh. The dog looks as confused as Eren feels.

“Uh…”

“You can just put the visit on Levi’s bill. It was nice meeting you, Eren!” The door closes behind them, leaving Eren standing there with his brows furrowed. He has no idea what the hell just happened.

 

“Don’t fucking do that again or I swear to god I will have you drowned.” To other people, sure, the threat would be intimidating, scary enough that they might consider going into witness protection. But Hanji isn’t most people, and she knows Levi’s soft spots. Despite all his grumpy attitude and murderous glares, he has a heart of gold, and Hanji, more than anyone, will do anything to protect it. She pats him on the head and takes a step past his front door. She’s quick enough to dodge out of the way when he goes to block her.

“You’re too short for such a temper, Levi,” she shouts at him, having managed to make it all the way into his kitchen. Levi finds her rummaging through his fridge when he enters.

“Where did you take my dog, shitty glasses?” Hanji pulls out a carton of milk and goes over to the cabinets to look for cereal.

“He looked like he wanted to go on a walk,” she says, shrugging. Levi contemplates throwing her out the kitchen windows. They won’t cost much to replace. He makes enough to replace any window he throws her through, honestly.

“You drove all the way to my house, used your spare key that I gave you for _emergencies_ , and took my dog for a walk while I was at work?” he asks, sneering in disbelief. She’s still on her quest for cereal, opening up all of his cabinets and then leaving them semi closed. He wonders if she’s doing this just to mess with him. Levi groans and walks across the kitchen. “Hanji, I know you can close cabinets. What are you, a fucking neanderthal?” He tosses a box of Lucky Charms at her, the only cereal in the house. He only keeps it around for when she comes to visit.

“It was an emergency,” she protests. Hanji shoves her hand into the box and scopes out the cereal. It would disgust the fuck out of Levi but she’s the only one eating the damn thing.

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“Cause you got trust issues.” She pours the milk into a bowl, making sure to screw the cap on tight after she’s done and place the carton back in the fridge on the same shelf she took it off.

“I better not find any fleas or shit on Lincoln,” Levi grumbles. The dog comes running at his name and sits panting by Levi’s side.

“Yeah yeah.” Hanji settles onto a bar stool and resumes shoving spoonfuls of cereal into her mouth. Levi throws a roll of paper towels at her. It hits her on the head before landing on the counter. “You bitch!” she wails, rubbing dramatically at her forehead.

“Get the fuck out of my house.”

“Don’t you need someone to babysit tonight?” she asks, pointing at Lincoln.

“He’s a grownass dog,” Levi counters. On the floor, Lincoln looks back and forth at the two of them as they argue.

“Can he get his own food?” she asks. Considering how Levi only gives the dog home cooked meals like he’s some sort of doggy king, Hanji doubts Lincoln can feed himself.  

“I can call Kenny. Or I can stay home.” The options are off the table as soon as he says them aloud. Levi can’t trust Kenny with shit, and there is no way Auruo will let him miss his birthday party.

“Nope. You can’t miss Auruo’s party and I want to catch up on _How to Get Away with Murder_ , anyway. You go, and I’ll watch Lincoln. I’ll make sure he’s fed and I won’t take him for anymore unauthorized walks.” She raises one hand and presses the other over her heart.

“I don’t fucking trust you.” But he does. He always has, because no matter how insane she is, Hanji has always had his back.

“ _Go_.”

So he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments! They make me so excited to write. Keep leaving kudos and feedback, I really appreciate them. Hope you all like the story so far. I ship Hange and Levi as brotp in case you didn't notice. My tumblr's OrangeJuiceHP if you want to stop by!


	3. I Get It

Eren feels lost under the flashing lights and and boozy haze. All the bodies around him smell like cheap drinks and cigarettes. Once in awhile he'll bump into someone in a suit and tie who'll give him a sly smile and try to coax him to dance. Eren always shies away, slipping past sweaty dancers and half drunk couples. His friends are sitting at a table in the center of the room, screaming their heads off under the blue and green lights. They cheer when he walks up, balancing a tray of shots on his hands like he's their personal waiter. Eren gives them all a halfhearted glare as he slides into his seat, squished between Mikasa and Armin.

“What took you so long?” Jean asks, downing a drink. “We thought you ditched us for a hookup.” The group laughs while Eren glances around the club in amusement.

“Nah, I like my lovers sober.” And none of the people grinding on each other look like they can walk a in straight line, or walk at all.

“Those people look sober,” Ymir says, pointing over to a more secluded section of the club. Men and women sit around a large table, sectioned off from the rest of the people by a red velvet rope. “What do you say? Wanna try your luck with one of them?” Eren scans the group, scoffing at their attire. Business suits and silk ties as far as the eye can see.

“I also like my lovers _fun._ ” His friends burst out in slightly drunken laughter, but Eren’s eyes linger on the group. Something about the black suits and cool composure reminds him of Levi. _He_ would certainly be fun. Eren has no doubt Levi would be quite the bed partner. Just thinking of the man has Eren shifting in his seat, pants tightening at the image of Levi panting beneath him, begging Eren to be fucked harder.

“Dude, are you alright?” Someone flicks Eren’s forehead, making him wince.

“Yeah. Connie, ow. What the fuck?” Eren whines. He reaches over to flick Connie back.

“You two are so immature.” They both turn to glare at Ymir, who sits with her arm draped over Krista's shoulders. Connie waves his middle finger in Ymir’s face, only for Sasha to smack his hand away.

“They're actually hot as hell,” Jean interrupts, nodding over to the VIP section. Eren sneaks a glance at Armin to see the corners of his lips dip into a frown.

 _Jean’s such a dumbass sometimes._ Armin’s practically been in love with him since freshman year of college, but Armin's shy and Jean was just getting over Marco. It's been years now, and the only progress Armin’s made is becoming Jean's roommate.

“Can we not focus on the rich people? I'm here to have fun,” Mikasa says, raising her glass. They all agree, bringing up their own drinks to their lips, except Eren, who lingers on the group, eyes train on the back of a man that comes strolling up, his black hair reflecting purples and blues under the neon lights.

 

“Erwin isn't coming today.” It's the sentence that makes Levi think maybe there's a god out there after all, and maybe he or she's listening to whatever rambled prayer drunk Levi has been saying. He picks up the half empty glass and downs it, mind already swirling with alcohol. Levi used to have a better tolerance than this. He used to be able to drink all of these suckers under the table. Back in college, Levi partied _hard_. He drank mindlessly until he thought he might kill himself, then drank some more. Then Erwin came along. Years of trying to be good, working towards Erwin’s standards, forcing feeding himself Erwin’s morals and ethics, all thrown away in one night. Levi takes another drink, then slams his glass onto the table. The others are looking at him weird, have been since he walked up and greeted them, words already slurred.

“Levi, maybe take it slow?” Petra says, reaching over to touch his hand. She's always so affectionate, so caring. He cocks his head to the side and flashes his best smile.

“What? No ‘sir’?” he mocks. Everyone at the table, too afraid of being snapped at by the usually intimidating man, keeps their mouths pressed shut. Levi scoffs at their expressions. The music in the club pounds against his head. It thumps on his skull with every pulsating beat. Levi glances at the table next to theirs where a bunch of men and women sit chattering over still full glasses of wine. Clubs are supposed to be dirty, sweaty, and loud. Oh god, is it loud, but Levi wants to get away from all the proper and stiffness of the VIP section. It reeks of Erwin. Of manners and superiority complexes.

He mumbles that he needs another drink and slips away. Screw them, he thinks. They don't know him. Not like Erwin does. _Did._ Levi was never the type to wear suits and polished shoes. He never wanted a house in the suburbs, an office in the city, or a fucking picket fence. But he wanted Erwin, and Erwin came with all of that. So Levi sucked it up. He changed all he was, pushed down everything about himself that Erwin sneered at, and honed this new Levi. Someone made entirely for Erwin.

But then Erwin didn't want that either. So what is Levi supposed to do? He doesn't know who he is apart from what Erwin wants him to be. All he has are memories of what he was before Erwin found him, gave him an idea of what order is like. Levi doesn't want to go back to that, to drinking with strangers who don't give a shit about him and bending over for every man that so much as spared him a compliment. But he doesn't want to go back to Erwin anymore. Not after being tossed away so many times.

So what the fuck is Levi supposed to do?

He drags his finger over the rim of the glass when the bartender hands it to him. He doesn't feel like making the trip back to his table so he sits there, pouting away his miseries.

“You look horrible.” Levi looks up, about to curse the shit out of whoever had the balls to come up in his space and insult him.

Bright green eyes lit by the club’s lights still Levi in his seat. He's aware that his mouth is open, but he has no idea where he was going with that so he twists his expression into a bored one.

“Are you stalking me?” he asks, innerly surprised by how good he is at faking sobriety. His voice sounds pretty normal and he isn't swaying in his seat. Levi deems that a win.

“No, the universe just wants us together, I guess.” Eren’s grinning like he'd just delivered the most epic pickup line in history. Levi has to admit it's kinda cute. Just a little.

“What do you want?” Levi grumbles, trying his best to resist the urge to rest his head on the bar top.

“I wanted to see if you're alright. I saw you leave your table to go sit here.” _Oh god, he is a stalker._

“I'm fine.” His words are slurring, stringing themselves together like a clumsy song.

“You don't sound fine.” Eren looks amused. “Do you want me to give you a ride home?” he asks. Levi is about to say no, then the thought of having Eren in his bed crosses his mind.

“You could be a murderer,” stumbles out instead. A small smile pulls at Levi’s lips when Eren chuckles.

“Then Lincoln will protect you.” For some reason, Eren’s logic seems solid enough for Levi to drunkenly rise to his feet. He holds out his hands for Eren to take and the taller man grips Levi’s hands in his, eyes wide at the cuteness of the gesture. “I really hope you're letting me take you home because you trust me and not because you thought anything I said tonight was actually convincing,” Eren whispers into Levi's ear as they make their way out of the club. When they past Levi's table, Eren gives Levi’s stunned associates  a small wave.  

“I'm a lawyer,” Levi says, which makes sense to his drunken mind but only manages to make Eren laugh.

Mikasa was Eren’s ride to the club, so he stands awkwardly in the parking lot looking around for Levi’s car. It’s a windy night, and the air bites at Eren’s nose. He looks over to see if Levi’s alright only to notice that the black hair male has his arms wrapped around himself, eyes glaring daggers at the brittle night air. He notices Eren staring and shrinks further into himself, fingers moving to dig around in his pocket.

Levi’s only wearing a suit jacket, and Eren considers giving Levi his coat but then remembers he left it in Mikasa’s car. Something tells him if he goes back inside to get her keys, Levi won’t be waiting here when he gets back.

The Tesla chirps, blinking red at them from its spot between two Mercedes. Levi dangles the keys in front of Eren's face, snatching them back when Eren reaches out to take them.

“If you crash my car, I'll shave your head in your sleep.” Eren runs a hand through his hair as he watches Levi get into the passenger seat.

“I'll be careful.” In the backseat of Levi’s car is Eren’s carefully folded up sweatshirt. Levi makes a sound of annoyance when Eren tosses it at him. “Put it on.” They avoid eye contact as Levi peels off his suit jacket and pull the sweatshirt over his head. It still smells like Eren. Hell, the whole car smells like Eren. It fogs up Levi’s mind and fills him with want. The sleeves are too long, so Levi hides his hands in the fabric, only letting his fingers peak out. Eren tries to hide his smile at the adorableness but utterly fails. He pretends to check for cars behind them instead. When he’s sure Levi is settled and no longer tugging uncomfortable at his clothes, Eren clears his throat. “I need your address.”

“I thought you already know where I live, stalker.” Eren raises a brow at Levi, who stares back unabashedly. He loves the color of Eren's eyes, the swirls of green and the specks of gold, like a forest dusted over with sunshine. Levi also loves the way Eren is staring at him, like Levi’s someone to be wanted, lusted after, cared for. He swallows thickly, then rights himself in the seat. “Um, it's probably a bad idea to go to my house right now. Is your place okay?” Levi asks, watching Eren for signs of confirmation. The other man nods and Levi almost releases a sigh of relief. He might be out of his mind drunk, but he still has some common sense. Shitty glasses should still be at his house right now, and Levi doesn’t want to deal with her reaction to him bringing Eren home.  

Eren thinks back to his mess of an apartment and does a quick scan of the interior of Levi’s car. The entire thing is spotless, no mysterious stains on the carpet or crumpled papers in the cup holders. Even the windows look meticulous. Eren feels out of place in his rumpled t-shirt and day old jeans. He’s suddenly self-conscious, worried that his muddy sneakers will ruin the carpet and Levi might make good of his threat. The other man in the car seems undisturbed, his black hair falling into his eyes. Levi’s trying to stop his head from spinning, but looking out the window doesn’t help. He considers closing his eyes but he’s not sure he trusts Eren with his car.

They drive in silence for a bit while Levi tries to compose himself. He smells like a bar and it makes him cringle his nose. _What would Erwin say?_ Maybe something along the lines of “Levi, I’m disappointed.” _Yeah well fuck him and fuck his stupid disappointed face._ Levi doesn’t care anymore, or at least that’s what he’s telling himself. Eren pulls off the highway and into a part of the city that has Levi sitting up straight, suddenly alert.

“You live here?” Levi asks, glancing around at the dark apartment buildings and shady alleyways. There isn’t a single wall that lacks crude graffiti. Eren grimaces.

“Uh, yeah. I know it’s not really ideal, but it’s all I can afford at the moment. The rent is cheap and my landlord is pretty nice. It’s just temporary-”

“My mom grew up in a similar neighborhood. She used to tell me how good I had it. She shoved lessons about privilege and being grateful down my throat everytime I so much as rolled my eyes at her. You don’t have to explain,” Levi interrupts. “I get it. You gotta do what you gotta do.” The look Eren gives Levi in response makes the black haired man duck his head, cheeks flushed.

“You’re the most articulate drunk I’ve ever met,” Eren says, chuckling. Levi keeps his eyes down, staring at the material of his pants. He doesn’t dare say what’s on his mind, that Eren’s presence chases the drunkenness away. It sounds too cliche. Too romance novel. But there’s something about being next to Eren that makes Levi not want to be lost in a haze of alcohol. Something about Eren makes Levi want to be awake and sober.

They pull up to an almost empty parking lot, the Tesla looking lost among the dust covered cars. Eren parks it in a place where he can easily see it from his window, just in case.

“Are you hungry?” Levi shakes his head no. The elevator music is catchy enough that Eren considers humming to it, but then he’s profoundly aware of Levi’s presence, so he stops himself. They ride up to the fifth floor, drowning under the tension filled atmosphere.  

Eren’s apartment isn’t as bad as Levi expected. It’s fairly clean save for the random half eaten bags of chips lying around. The space is small, the living room being about the size of Levi’s bathroom and the connecting kitchen barely there at all, but Eren seems so proud of his little apartment that Levi bites back any sarcastic statements.

“So? What do you think?” Eren asks, arms spread wide as he gestures around. “Clean enough?”

“It could use some dusting,” Levi replies, trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible, but Eren catches the small smirk on the other man’s lips.

“I can sleep on the couch and-” Fingers entangle with Eren’s own and it makes him pause mid sentence. Not that he minds being interrupted. Not when Levi’s standing there in Eren’s sweatshirt looking like the most beautiful thing Eren has ever laid eyes on. Levi’s close. Too close. Eren can smell alcohol rolling off of the other man in waves. It isn’t just the alcohol that makes Eren feel intoxicated, dizzy with want. It’s the way Levi looks, the sounds he makes when Eren touches him. Eren reaches out, letting his fingers tangle themselves in Levi’s silky black hair. Levi tilts his head back, mouth falling open as he stares at Eren with half lidded eyes. _Why is everything about him so fuckable?_ Eren muses to himself, eyes lingering with lust on Levi’s parted lips. He presses their foreheads together, and grins when the tip of Levi’s nose touches his.

“No more talking,” the shorter man whispers. He reaches up, wrapping his arms around Eren’s neck and yanking the other man down until they end up on Eren’s wooden floor, tangled in each other. Levi presses a kiss against the side of Eren’s neck, moaning when Eren tugs on his hair. “I want you.” Eren bends down, nudging Levi’s legs apart with his neck, pressing against the bulge in Levi’s pants. Their lips brush together, and Levi cranes his neck up, begging silently for a kiss. Levi doesn’t care that Eren’s making him work for it, but he’s getting impatient. “Come on, fuck me.”

 _Wait_.

It takes everything in Eren to pull himself away from the panting man beneath him. Levi’s hands follow, reaching up towards Eren like a needy child. Eren sits there, perched above Levi’s hips, breath heavy. He runs a hand down his face then groans in annoyance.

“You’re drunk,” he says, voice muffled under his fingers. Eren doesn’t dare to let himself see Levi right now, not when smaller man is shaking his head in disagreement, lips pouting up at Eren.

“I’m not.”

“I thought I was just taking you home. You know, so you can _sleep_.” Levi frowns, a displeased expression on his beautiful face. Eren allows himself a peak and immediately regrets it. All he wants right now is pull Levi into a kiss, hard and rough until the man is begging for more. All Eren wants is to be between Levi’s legs, to have his hands separating Levi’s thighs. Eren groans again and forces himself away. He doesn’t stop until he’s across the room, hand still covering his face. It’s a wonder he didn’t trip and fall over any furniture.

“Oh.” Levi’s voice is small, and there’s something there that Eren can’t pinpoint, something that sounds like defeat. But that can’t be right. _Look at him_ ; he’s fucking gorgeous. There's no reason for him to get so upset over a rejection. Not that Eren’s rejecting him. Eren would never pass up an opportunity to fuck Levi, but he’ll definitely refuse anything sexual that has to do with drunk Levi.

“Hey, let me get you some water. I’ll make the bed and change the sheets. You can stay here tonight and drive back home in the morning.” Eren waits until Levi is sitting up, blinking away the lust, before he walks over. “Then if you still want me in the morning, I’m yours.” Eren doesn’t think anyone can look so sexy and adorable at the same time but here Levi is.

“Okay.” He sounds so small and dejected that Eren’s heart aches. He bends down and caresses Levi’s cheek. Eren practically melts when Levi nuzzles into the touch. Stormy gray eyes stare up at him from under a mess of black bangs, and Eren can’t help but pull Levi to him. It has only been a day since they met, but Eren already feels addicted. He kisses Levi, chaste on the forehead, then helps the man to his feet.

“I’m mad at you,” Levi grumbles when Eren directs him to the bedroom.

Eren pauses in the middle of changing a pillowcase and smirks. Levi’s leaning against the wall, arms crossed, disappointment written all over his face.

“You won’t even remember it in the morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everybody who left kudos and comments. Sorry I haven't had time to reply to all the amazing comments you all gave me, but I hope this update makes up for it! Please continue to leave feedback! I'm sorry for being a tease. I promise they'll fuck soon. I'm looking forward to writing it as much as you're looking forward to reading it.


	4. But I Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhhhh... to those of you who really strongly dislike Eruri, I'm sorry about this chapter, but it's important to the storyline and it's important to Levi's character. But yeah, warning that there's going to be eruri in this chapter.

Sunlight filters through Eren's thin blue curtains, coaxing him awake. His back feels sore and his muscles are aching worse than usual. He presses the pillow against his face and groans, turning to roll...right onto the goddamn floor. He jolts up, hair a tousled mess, and stares perplexed at his living room. It takes Eren a minute for his sleep deprived brain to make sense of things, but the second it does, he springs into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and some painkillers for Levi. Memories of last night come rushing back, and a small part of Eren regrets passing up the chance to sleep with Levi. Eren makes sure to kill that part immediately. He's glad they didn't have sex, because Levi would hate him for it, and Eren doesn't want to take advantage of him. Levi isn't a one night stand, nor will he ever be to Eren. Besides, he has a girlfriend, right? That chick with the glasses? Eren sighs and nudges open his bedroom door. What he expected to find was Levi still sleeping in bed, arms and legs tangled in Eren's sheets. What Eren finds instead is an already made bed with a green sweatshirt folded neatly in the middle. The room is empty, as is the small connecting bathroom.

A part of him hurts because Levi should have stayed, and the fact that he didn't means he never wanted Eren at all. It was alcohol talking. Eren hovers in the middle of his room, hands still gripping Levi's glass of water and a bottle of painkillers.

Levi never wanted him. Levi has a girlfriend. Levi is in a totally different _league._ Levi drives a Tesla and probably lives in a fucking gated community. And he's a lawyer.

Eren shakes his head. He has no idea what he's doing pining after a guy he barely knows. Have they even sat down and actually have a conversation? Eren goes back into the kitchen and pours the water down the sink. He watches it trickle into the drain, scolding himself all the while for being such an idiot. He's in the midst of washing a glass that doesn't need to be washed when his front door opens.

He sees the black hair first, slightly wet and slicked back. Then comes the stormy gray eyes, eyes that look like rain clouds after lightning had already struck. Eren stands there, shocked, hands still soapy and gripping the glass.

“Good morning.” Levi holds up a bag of groceries like it's supposed to explain everything and steps into the apartment. “It's raining a shit load outside,” he says. His hair is dripping water onto his shoulders, which are covered in another one of Eren's sweaters. Eren points at it, not really sure what to say. “I didn't have anything to wear. Sorry.” Levi frowns at him as if he's gone brain dead, so Eren clears his throat and goes about riffling through the grocery bag.

“No it's okay.” _Why did he have to take the sweater that says “Jaeger’s” on it, damn it?_ Eren complains internally. It's as if Levi's baiting him on purpose, trying to get Eren to mess up. It's like he _wants_ to be slammed into the wall and kissed mercilessly. “I thought you went home,” Eren says, voice a little rough. He turns his attention back to the glass in his hands, or _tries_ to. Levi shifts awkwardly on his feet, not sure if Eren meant he _should_ go home or something else.

“I thought we should eat breakfast first, but you don't have anything edible in your apartment.” Levi nods at the cabinets, which Eren knows are empty.

“Can't afford to buy groceries every week,” he jokes. Levi doesn't look amused. They stare at each other for a bit, trying to guess what the other is thinking. Eren wants to feel angry, wants to know what kind of game Levi is playing with him. But at the same time, he's so glad that Levi is here, standing in the middle of his apartment in _his_ sweater. Levi looks like he belongs to Eren, even if he doesn't look like he could ever belong in Eren's apartment with its dusty corners and cheap furnitures. “Why are you still here?” Eren finally asks. Levi startles at the question, and bites down on his lip, nervous.  

“I didn't know that you wanted me to go. Last night…” He trails off, cheeks flushing red. “Um…”

“We didn't fuck.”

“I know!” His gray eyes are wide, round saucers that gather up all of Eren's attention. The soapy glass sits forgotten on the kitchen counter. “I know we didn't. Thank you for not taking advantage of me.” He scratches his head as he searches for the right words to say. Levi should be used to this with Erwin, never having the right words, but this feels different. “If you want me to leave, I'll go.” He's stooping down to collect his things before Eren can protest. He moves too quickly, hands shaking as he grabs his keys from the counter and reaches for his jacket. Then his hands brush against the fabric of Eren's sweater, which feels so comfy and soft on his skin. Levi hesitates.

“Fuck it.” The kiss is sudden, out of nowhere. It knocks Levi back by surprised and he would have fallen, tripped over his own feet, if Eren hadn't grabbed him. Fingers tangle themselves with Levi's hair, tugging and pulling with want. It's been so long. It's been so long since he's had this kind of contact, since he’s been wanted this much. Eren is equally surprised when Levi pulls him impossibly closer, melting into him and moaning against Eren's kisses.

When they pull apart to breathe, Eren presses their foreheads together, his eyes staring deep into Levi’s.

“Your girlfriend’s going to be pissed,” Eren whispers, the words feeling wrong on his lips. He doesn't condone cheating, and he's usually so careful about his partners, but there is something about Levi that makes Eren reckless. The shorter man scrunches up his eyebrows and tilts his head in confusion. He tries to pull away, to look at Eren's face, but Eren holds him still, grip tight around Levi's waist.

“I don't have a girlfriend,” Levi breathes out. “Why would you think I have a girlfriend?”

“She came to the clinic with Lincoln and-”

“Fucking Hanji.” Levi yanks away from Eren's touch with a strength that makes Eren raise his eyebrows. Levi grumbles curses under his breath while he presses his phone to his ear. A smile spreads slow on Eren's lips as he watches Levi from across the room. “Shitty glasses, I know where you fucking took my dog. Answer the phone; I know it never leaves your fucking hands, you tall shit.” Eren speeds over, laughing at the endless string of curses and threats that leave Levi's mouth. Its amusing to him how fast Levi changes, from wanton and blushing against Eren to crudely listing all the ways he'll hurt Hanji.

“Stop. You can yell at her later.” Levi stills when Eren presses a kiss against his ear, a kiss which turns into an affectionate nibble. “Come help me with breakfast.”

They make pancakes, drizzling batter everywhere and sneaking kisses in between. Levi scowls when Eren drowns his stack of pancakes under a mountain of gooey syrup. Eren teases him in return, holding the syrup bottle above Levi’s plate and smirking, wiggling his eyebrows. He laughs when Levi smacks his hand away, and Levi tries his best to look serious.

It’s the kind of morning that hits him out of nowhere and spins him until he’s dizzy. Levi doesn’t know how he ended up here, laughing in Eren’s apartment like they’ve known each other all their lives. Levi doesn’t trust easy, and he still doesn’t exactly trust Eren yet, but he likes this. He likes Eren. And it fucking terrifies him.

“Do you want a ride to work?” he asks Eren once they’re done eating. The other man steps out of his bedroom, freshly showered and running a towel through his mop of hair. Levi has to force his eyes away.

“Yeah, that would be great.” He ruffles Levi’s black strands when he passes by, earning himself a glare. “Can you pick me up too? I mean, you don’t have to. I can-”

“I’ll pick you up,” Levi interrupts. A smile graces Eren’s lips. “And then we can go to dinner?” It comes out as a question and Levi frowns at himself.

“Did you just ask me out on a date?” Eren teases. He wants to kiss Levi again, wants to skip work and spend the whole day with Levi.

“I withdraw my offer.”

“Wait, no! Ha, you’re so grumpy.” Eren’s arms feel warm and comfortable around Levi, and he still smells so fucking good. “Pick me up at eight, okay?” He kisses Levi’s head, loving how perfect the shorter male feels against him.

 

“I listened to your voicemail this morning,” Hanji says when she bounces into his office, a grin taking up her whole face. “You’re losing your edge.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Levi says. He looks up from his desk, a glass of water gripped tight in his hand. He’d managed to ignore the hangover earlier with Eren, but now that he’s at work, his head feels like it’s being split in half.

“You didn’t sound as scary as you usually do. What is it?” She pokes his arm and he shakes away her hand. She should be lucky he’s feeling too shitty to do anything else. “Hey, I’m sorry if I scared your new boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Levi drags himself into a more proper sitting position and rubs at the back of his neck.

“Lover.”

“No.”

“Crush?”

“Fuck off, would you?” He gets up despite his body’s scream of protest and heads over to the bookshelf. Levi lets his fingers skim through the spines of heavy law books until they rest on a thinner volume. “Did you talk to that client like I told you to?” The question is pointless. They both know she didn’t do shit. Hanji is very good at her job, whatever it is, but Levi never sees her actually doing any work. Her results are fantastic, though.

“Our lovely CEO took care of it.” Her words are slow, careful. He swears she flinches when he looks up. Levi has no idea how he must look, probably like shit, but Hanji’s expression twists into one of worry.

“He’s supposed to be in France for another week.” It’s what Levi was counting on. One more week. That’s all he needs to get his emotions in order.

“Everything’s finished. The deal was made and Erwin… You’re gonna have to see him eventually.” Hanji takes two steps forward and Levi holds up his hand. He closes his eyes, takes a shaky breath, then allows a brief second of emotion to pass over his face.

“I’m okay. It’s work. We don’t let things get in the way of work.” It’s a mantra he had to repeat to himself over and over for the past years, but this time it feels real. He can’t let Erwin have a hold on him anymore.

“I’ll keep him away.” Hanji offers him a reassuring smile. Levi scoffs, dry and sarcastic. He prepares to respond, but a buzzing cuts him off. They both look down at their phones in grim silence, then at each other with furrowed brows. Petra pokes her head into the room, her face as solemn as theirs.

“Mr. Smith scheduled a meeting.”

“ _Fucking shit._ ” Levi drops the book he’s holding onto the desk and hides his face in his hands. “Is this god punishing me?” he groans out.

“Stop being a drama queen.” Hanji comes over to drag him to his feet. Levi is heavier than he looks, but she manages to get him up. “Just go to the meeting. You can look as pissed off as you want.” Petra smiles sympathetically when Hanji passes by, dragging along a scowling Levi.

All he has to do is _sit_ there. That's it. He doesn't even have to listen to what Erwin says, which will most likely be some bullshit about how great the deal went in France. Levi was there. That deal took a month of his life and those people always looked so constipated. He stops himself. Thinking about France means thinking about walking around Paris with Erwin under the city lights, and all Levi wants right now is to be angry.

When Erwin strolls into the meeting room, hands clasped behind his back, Levi doesn't even bother to look up. But then Erwin clears his throat and says a quick good morning. Levi can't resist that voice. It's deep, commanding, perfect for someone in a position of power such as Erwin. Levi has alway been attracted to men with power, men in charge.

Their eyes meet briefly, then Levi looks away. He knows Erwin is still staring, watching Levi too closely for him to be comfortable with. He should fake sickness, or just get up and walk out. What would Erwin possibly do? Fire him?

Levi screws his eyes shut when images from that night comes up, flashing like screenshots on the back of his eyelids. Kenny woke them up, shouting into the hotel phone in his drunken slur. Levi only heard “Lincoln” and “broken leg” before he shot up, untangling himself out of the sheets and Erwin's arms. He didn't have to go home the morning after. Hanji could have taken care of Lincoln. It would have been selfish of Levi, but Hanji could have handled it, would have handled it, if he had called her.

But Levi and Erwin had a fight that night, shouting hateful words at each other that stemmed from days of stressful business meetings and tension filled sex. They never talk. Not really. Levi was Erwin’s stress reliever. He had made sure Levi knew it from the moment they met, but Erwin had been so much more than a bed partner to Levi. Erwin was a friend, a lover.

Levi was the first one to threaten to end it. He didn't mean it, but once the words were out he couldn't take them back. Erwin never said he doesn't love Levi, but he didn't stop him from leaving the hotel room, bags hastily packed and heart in pieces. Doesn't that say enough? If Erwin loves him, wouldn't he have asked Levi to stay? To let them work it out?

“Levi?” He jolts at the sound of his name. The conference room is empty except for a very nervous Hanji, Erwin, and Levi. Erwin nods at Hanji, a signal that usually means he wants her to leave. Normally, she would. She'd get up and leave after winking suggestively at Levi, but everything is different now.

“Are you going to be okay?” she asks, hand laid out on the table for him to hold. He squeezes her palm, then nods. _Liar_. Once Hanji is out the room, Erwin starts to pace. Levi sinks into his seat, heart thundering in his chest.

“We need to talk.”

“No fucking kidding.” Erwin's blue eyes snap over to look at him.

“You never let me explain.”

“Because your explanations are full of shit.” They glare at each other, piercing blue versus stormy gray. Before, Levi would give in. He’d bow his head and step towards Erwin like an obedient dog. “I’m done,” he says instead. The words tear at them both, and Levi feels the pain clutching at his chest, knotted deep in his core. “I can’t do it anymore Erwin. I can’t keep loving you when you don’t feel the same.”

“I can try.”

There’s no real way to describe it, the way Levi’s world starts falling apart. _He can try_.

“Do you fucking mean that? Or are you just saying it because that’s what I want to hear?” Erwin grimaces when Levi slams his hands onto the table, but doesn’t look surprised at the sudden act. “Tell me!” _Don’t fucking stand there and stare at me._ He wants to break down, wants to curl up and scream, but that would mean Erwin wins, wouldn’t it?  

“Levi…”

He _hates_ it. He hates how well Erwin knows him, how well he can read Levi’s every action. He hates the way his name sounds when Erwin says it, sweet and endearing, toxic like rum.

“You’re killing me.” It’s true. He’s given Erwin everything, and the man had taken it all selfishly. The room spins and Levi’s mind dances with it. How much more of himself does Erwin want him to give?

He takes a deep breath, blue eyes piercing through Levi. Erwin looks like shit. There are bruises under his eyes, which are red and sleep deprived. His hair doesn’t look combed, not if Levi really looks at it. He wonders why he didn’t immediately notice when Erwin walked in. Levi used to be able to pick up on every little change. Erwin’s fingers twitch, but he doesn’t move.

“I love you.” Everything stands still, his breath, the room, his heart.

“You what?” Levi asks. The words stutter out, odd and misshapen.

“I came back to tell you that.” Erwin steps forward. For the first fucking time in any argument they’ve ever had, and they’ve had a lot, Erwin leaves himself bare. “You wanted me to chase after you and I was too stubborn to do it. I wanted you to keep coming back to me. I’m selfish, I know. But I love you.”  

It’s like he spent the last few days in withdrawal, and all he needed was a little dose to fall back again. What Erwin gave him wasn’t a little dose, it is everything Levi ever wanted all these years. He doesn’t think. He pushes forward, wraps himself around Erwin and sighs like he’s finally home. Erwin’s his addiction, painful and wrong and _fuck is he toxic_ , but Levi lets himself relapse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed Levi not knowing what the fuck he's doing. A lot of you like Levi wearing Eren's sweater so  
> [here](http://orangejuicehp.tumblr.com/post/151411540315/rough-sketch-of-levi-in-erens-sweater) is a sketch I made. Thanks for all the kudos and comments! They mean a lot, guys.


	5. I'm Sorry

“He hates me,” Mikasa says, peeling off her gloves. They come off with a soft snap. Her hands are pale with long, eloquent fingers always kept clean, nails trimmed to perfection. She's been in the examination room for hours cooing to a bunny that insists on biting her fingers. She wiggles them in front of Eren's face, showing of the bite marks. The wounds aren’t deep enough to bleed, but there are indents in her skin where the bunny sunk in his teeth. “Fucking Devil rabbit.” Eren laughs.

“You sound like Levi.” The vacuum roars as Eren drags it back and forth on the blue carpet of the waiting room. He's never vacuumed before. It was always Mikasa who did it. Eren liked cleaning the examination rooms more. Sanitizing the tools and wiping down the seats and tables was much better than hauling the giant vacuum around. He struggles with the machine while Mikasa stands watching, both of them on the edge of laughter. 

“This Levi must be pretty great if you're willing to get off your lazy ass and clean,” she says, tone playful. Eren’s been bragging to her nonstop, injecting Levi-centered facts into whatever conversation they were having. Mikasa and Sasha nodded along to his rambling, too happy for him to tell him how they know much more about Levi than they should by the day’s end. The vacuum’s deep rumbling cuts off when Eren yanks on the plug. 

“I think he's great,” he says, trying to act casual like Levi is just another guy. Mikasa sees right through it. How can she not when all day he's been meticulously cleaning and rearranging the clinic like the President is coming? 

“Of course you do.” She pats his head, causing a frown to find its way onto his face.

“What do you mean by that?” he asks. Eren shoves the vacuum into the closet too hard and rolls of paper towels on the top shelf comes tumbling down. They bounce off his head and onto the floor. 

“You're clumsy as fuck.” Mikasa kneels with him, gathering the rolls up in her arms. “And you fall in love too quickly.” 

“I do not.” 

“Jean in high school.” Eren rolls his eyes.  _ Of course _ she would choose that as the example. 

“I was a stupid teenager.”

“That Thomas guy two years ago-”

“He was cute, and I really did like him.” Eren droops a little and Mikasa has to change her tone. 

“You need to be careful. Love and lust are two different things.” She glances at the clock then smooths down Eren's hair. “Stop falling in love with guys that only want you for sex.” He rolls his eyes and grabs her hand, gentle but firm with his actions. 

“Levi isn't like that.” He keeps it simple, uncomplexed. He doesn't explain to her how happy he was with Levi that morning, how he didn't want to leave the car when Levi dropped him off. Those feel like sensitive details, ones only he and Levi should have right now. Their little moments of comfort and happiness, so early in the relationship, should just be between them. Eren wants to gather up everything about this morning and put it in a box, locked and placed in a safe place. It was a perfect morning, and it makes him feel like a giddy teenager thinking about it. “He isn’t Thomas. Levi isn’t like any of the guys I’ve dated or hooked up with.” 

“He better not be. I'll kick his ass.” Eren scoffs, but makes a note to warn Levi about Mikasa’s overprotective tendencies. “It's eight,” she warns, nodding to the clock ticking on the pale blue walls. Eren follows her gaze, then looks out the clinic window. The streets are crowded with people, but none of them are Levi. 

“Go home,” Eren tells Mikasa. “He's probably just caught up in traffic.” 

He manages to get her out the door and in her car despite her protests and half-hearted threats. Eren waves her goodnight before glancing down at his phone. 

8:05. Eren doesn’t think Levi is usually late, judging by the man’s perfectionist tendencies, but Eren decides it’s best to give Levi time before he calls. The clinic’s window offers a view of the lit streets outside, of the clothing boutique across the road, of the shiny cars that glide past. When Eren was younger and visiting the clinic, he used to love to sit and watch as the city life roared by, giving little care to the boy with his hands pressed against the window, green eyes in awe. 

His father bought the space when Eren was still only a thought in his parents’ minds. It used to be a restaurant, and the Jaeger family sacrificed a lot for it. Grisha made the veterinary clinic what it is today, well known and well respected, but he also used up all of its profits on booze and casinos. 

When his parents died, Eren was only serving as his father's assistant in the clinic. Now he owns the entire business, is in charge of everything from the bills to the paperworks and the employees. It was a lot to take in, it still is. He slumps down on one of the burgundy couches and combs his hand through his hair. 

8:10. Eren juggles his phone between his hands, debating whether or not he should text Levi, ask if everything’s alright. Maybe he should give Levi more time. Eren grimaces as he bounces ideas around in his head. He doesn't want to seem too impatient, but what if something happened? 

The door to the clinic slams open. 

“Oh thank god, you're still here.” 

It's Hanji. Eren tries to hide the disappointment on his face and rises to his feet. The woman has a manic grin on her face and a glittering red dress hugging her figure. She runs at him, nearly tripping over her heels. 

“What's wrong? Where's Levi?” Eren only gets a few words out by the time she grabs his arm and sends him hurdling into one of the examination rooms. There's a suit in his arms, expensive and black with a white button up shirt and a dark green tie. It feels out of place in his hands, and certainly looks out of place in the room, surrounded by metal tools and the scent of disinfectant. 

“Get dressed!” Hanji shouts at him from outside the door that she slammed in his face. “Hurry!” 

Eren glances down at the suit, then digs around in his pocket for his phone. He should call Levi, ask him what the hell is going on. 

His pockets are empty. 

“Uh, Hanji, right?” Eren stutters. “Did you take my phone?” He pats his pockets again. Maybe he left it on the counter.  _ That can’t be right. I just had it in my hands _ . He has a feeling he should fear the strange woman standing guard outside. The only thing he knows about her is that she’s Levi’s friend, but that doesn’t give her much credit after she stole his dog just to check out Eren. 

“Don't worry about it. Just get dressed!” Her voice is shrill, coated in excitement. 

“I have a date with Le-”

“I know! I'll explain in the car.” 

 

Levi fakes another laugh, but it comes out dry enough for woman trying to flirt with him to hastily retreat. He watches the overdramatic sway of her hips as she walks away, trying to entice him even when he had so rudely refused her. The champagne is bitter as it slides down his throat, lighting a dull fire as it goes. He wants something more raw, with a burn that warms him from the inside. These parties are impossible to stomach without a strong drink. Or an entire bottle. 

The entire company is here, laughing and drinking in the CEO’s not-so-modest mansion. Levi leans against the wall, trying to find a comfort in the constant chatter and endless supply of people waving around their jewelry and gold watches. When he was younger and forced to attend these events with his father, Levi learned how easy it is to rob drunk people. They hardly feel it when he unclasped their bracelets and watches, pawning the accessories later to dealers for drugs for him and his friends. Levi’s fingers itch from the boredom of standing in the corner of the mansion, watching the false glitter of his coworkers. 

Erwin Smith is in the center of it all, a modern day Gatsby without any of the depressing shit. His hair looks gold under the chandelier, which dangles like a dainty petal off of the flower that is Erwin’s majestic arched ceiling. The first time they fucked in the mansion was under that ceiling, right there on the floor like animals. 

Levi shifts his weight from one foot to another. He used to love it, watching Erwin dazzle his way through the crowds, making empty promises to the women and men that flirt with him. Levi knew that no matter how much Erwin flirted back, no matter how many times he smiled at them and kissed their hands, at the end of it all, Erwin Smith doesn’t love. That was what Levi had thought, anyway. But then Erwin came rushing home with a love confession dedicated to Levi, crafted so perfectly for his ears. And then came the party, which the CEO insisted on throwing last minute, a silent celebration of his newfound affections for Levi. To everyone else, it’s Erwin’s grand welcome home party. It doesn’t feel like anything at all to Levi. It doesn’t feel real. Nothing today feels as real as his few brief moments with Eren.  _ Eren. Not Erwin _ . 

Levi grabs another drink from a passing waiter. What is wrong with him? Isn’t this the world Levi has always belonged in? One his parents raised him in? Isn’t Erwin the one that brought him back after his shameful college years? Levi gulps down the champagne, wishing he can be anywhere else. Not even the sight of Erwin, smiling like a fucking prince in the middle of the room, can pull Levi out of the slum he’s in. 

He glances down at his watch, a pang of guilt biting at him once he realizes the time. Eren must be worried, or upset, but Levi can’t seem to find his fucking phone anywhere. Whatever. It’s not like Levi can think of having a relationship with Eren anyway, not when Erwin is standing over there. Right? 

He groans inwardly. 

Levi makes a quick shuffle to the other side of the room, and when he confirms that Erwin’s eyes aren’t following him, Levi darts down one of the many golden hallways. He wants a bottle from Erwin’s wine cellar, which the man keeps locked up tighter than his fucking safe. Levi crossed another corridor, this one made of wall length windows on either side, offering a view of the front of the mansion where guests are still arriving. 

He pauses. 

There’s a man, tall and impossibly familiar with his bright green eyes and tan skin. Hanging on to his arm is Hanji, unmistakable in her ruby red dress. They climb the stairs to Erwin’s porch, chattering like they’ve known each other forever. Part of Levi wants to rush out there and maim Hanji, but the majority of Levi stands shock still. How can he move when Eren looks like  _ that _ ? Like he fucking walked out of a Disney movie where he played the handsome and utterly dreaming Prince? Levi stands there. He doesn’t know how Hanji got Eren to go along with what is sure to be another one of her infamous schemes, but Levi can’t imagine the shitshow that is Eren and Erwin in the same room together. 

He wills his legs to fucking  _ move _ and speeds to the doorway, not giving a shit that guests are glaring at him as he passes them by. Hanji is whispering something into Eren’s ear, the way her lips barely grazes Eren’s skin makes Levi unbearably jealous. He wants to shove her away, wants to kiss Eren right there like they did that morning, heated and passionate and full of need. Levi takes a step forward, scowl clear on his face, and Eren looks up. 

You know how it feels when you’re taking a hot shower and you know you’ve been in there too long and your family is like, “What are you doing? Get the fuck out,” but the water feels so good that you just want to stand there forever? That’s how Levi feels right now, staring into Eren’s eyes like he’s lost in a haze of greens and golds. People are passing between them, but all Levi sees are blurs. The only things in focus are Eren’s eyes. 

“So… Can I take it that you’re not mad at me?” Hanji's voice cuts through whatever trance Levi’s in and makes him cock his head in annoyance. He pulls her away from Eren. 

“What the fuck are you doing? Have you gone insane?” he hisses at her once they’re out of earshot. Levi tries his best to keep his expression neutral for Eren’s sake, but he can’t help how is brows furrow. 

“Relax, shortstack. I told him you had a work thing you have to go to so I decided to surprise you by bringing him here.” She fixed his tie while she talks, and he swats her hands away. 

“I don’t like surprises, Hanji,” Levi growls out as Eren walks up.  _ Fucking fuck, he looks so good. _ Levi flusters, feeling guilty for skipping out on their date and not even telling Eren he was cancelling. 

“Hey, everything okay?” Eren asks, voice calming to Levi’s hammering heart. The taller man reaches over to brush back a strand of Levi’s hair, and Levi has no idea how he’s still managing to stay on his feet. 

“Y-Yes. I didn’t expect you to be here.” He stops to glare at Hanji’s smug look. “I don’t have my phone…”

“Oh! Shit! Yeah, I have your phone.” She holds it out to him, dangles it in front of him with a faked innocent expression on her face.

“I’m going to kill you, Shitty Glasses.” Levi snatched his phone back, teeth bared at his supposed friend. 

“Can you save that for later?” Eren jokes, tangling his arm with Levi’s. “I want to talk to you.” His tone is serious enough that Levi complies without question. He follows as Eren leads him away from a smirking Hanji, from the glamour of the party, from Erwin. 

Levi lets Eren lead him blindly towards the backyard, where strings of lights have been hung up to give the trees a golden glow. The leaves are losing their vibrant green in the early Autumn air, and the wind picks them off the branches slowly, coaxing one after another to fall. Levi lets Eren guide him away from the rest of crowd to a towering willow tree.  

“Did I make you nervous?” Eren asks. He leans against the tree trunk, a feet away from Levi. “Like, did I push too hard with the whole date thing? Was this morning weird?”

“No.”  _ God, no _ . Is this what he thinks this is? Levi wants to close this distance. It feels odd and uncomfortable being so far away from Eren even though he’s standing right there. As if knowing Levi’s thoughts, Eren holds out his hand. It’s a question, an offering, and Levi answers by lacing their fingers together and stepping closer to Eren. “I really do have a work thing. And Hanji really did steal my phone.” Eren laughs, and it’s a sound Levi wants to hear again and again. “I’m sorry.” Eren’s green eyes are soft, forgiving, and Levi can’t help thinking about how Erwin’s eyes wouldn’t be. “My boss just came back from his trip and he threw a welcome back party-”

“Your boss threw a welcome back party for himself?” Eren asks, chuckling. Levi smiles along, liking the easy and light atmosphere more than he cares to admit. 

“He can be an ass.” Levi feels like the words are traitorous, but Erwin is far away and Eren is  _ here _ with Levi, not laughing away with hundreds of guests. “I’m sorry.” Eren shakes his head for Levi to stop. 

“I’m not mad. You look amazing,” Eren says, warm breath drifting over Levi’s cheeks. Levi sighs in contentment, basking in the fact that Eren doesn’t smell like alcohol and expensive cologne. He pulls back to get a better view of Eren’s face, of the suit that he looks so, so  _ damn good _ in, and Levi scolds at himself for how much he’s fucked up. 

“I’m dressed the same way as when I left for work,” Levi says, laughing softly. Erwin had given him a strange look when he’d realized that Levi was wearing a too large sweater instead of his usual ironed out shirt and tie. 

“I know. You look amazing always.”

Levi laughs, burying his face in Eren’s shoulder. He blushes as Eren snakes an arm around his waist and pulls Levi even closer. 

_ Erwin loves you _ , Levi thinks, hating himself.  _ He finally loves you and you’re here _ . He wants to cry, wants to know why things always have to be so damn complicated. Being in Eren’s arms feel so right, but Erwin feels right too, doesn’t he? Levi doesn’t know when being with Erwin lost its magic, he doesn’t know why being with Eren feels safe and perfect, and he doesn’t understand when his life turned into a soap opera, but right now, he really doesn’t fucking care. 

“Can we go back to your place?” he whispers, voice muffled by Eren’s shoulder. 

“Anything you want.” Calloused fingers untangle the black strands of Levi’s hair and he feels himself dozing off. “How do you feel? Sober enough to drive?” 

“Not sober enough to drive.” Levi groans when Eren pulls them apart. They being trudging back towards the front of the house. 

“Sober enough to eat pizza?” Eren nudges Levi playfully and the shorter man frowns. 

“Not shitty pizza.” Eren gasps, a hurt expression on his face. A smile creeps onto Levi’s lips as he thanks whatever god is out there that it’s dark enough so Eren can’t see how flustered he looks. 

“My taste in pizza is perfect, excuse you.” Levi scoffs, but nuzzles his head against Eren’s shoulder when the taller man leans in. 

They tease each other back and forth as they make their way towards Levi’s car, completely unaware of Erwin watching from a balcony on the third floor, a drink in his hand and a tight frown on his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I know the updates have been a bit sporadic but it's midterm week here at hell university so bear with me. I love all of your comments! They make me so happy and I wish I had the time to reply to each and every one of them because you're all so wonderful. Thank you for reading!


	6. We're Going to Be Okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: emotional abuse

Light bleeds onto the bed sheets, casting the room in a golden glow. The blinds are closed, but soft light still manages to dance onto Levi’s skin. There's warmth all around him, the kind he doesn't want to leave, and an unusual weight holds him down on the bed, cuddles him close and tight. Everything smells like pine trees and that brisk winter air, even though it's barely autumn. Levi casts one look at the man wrapped around him and banishes all thoughts of getting up. Eren looks like a daydream, sweet and enticing, a warm Sunday afternoon thought. The sheets ruffle when Levi edges closer, breathing in how peaceful the other man looks lost in sleep. Eren's muscles are still prominent under his pale blue shirt, and Levi lazily traces his fingers over Eren's chest, eyes still half-lidded with sleep. 

“Tickles,” the other man breathes out, the corners of his lips curling into a smile. “What are you doing, Lee?” 

Levi stills, because no way in hell did Eren just call him that. Lee is something his mother used to call him when he was little and still chubby, fingers dragging down any object his parents didn't place high enough, like a cat. Any protest he's about to make gets chased away when Eren opens one gold-flecked eye. 

“You already look so grumpy,” he says, words drifting into a yawn. Long tan arms rise up in a blissful stretch and Levi can't help staring at the way Eren's body moves, even though most of it is covered by the comforter. “What time is it?” 

“Ten.” Levi kicks the blankets off and stumbles out of bed. He adjusts the rumpled shirt Eren gave him to sleep in and reaches for his clothes. “I should start bringing extra clothes if I'm going to keep having random sleepovers with you,” he says, stalking over to the bathroom. Eren watches from the bed, still barely awake and spread out on the sheets. 

“Are you saying you'll have more sleepovers with me?” He likes the way Levi looks from behind too much. Sleep be damned, the view is too good to let his eyes fall shut. Eren sits up, grabbing a pillow to hug while he watches Levi brush his teeth with one of the new toothbrushes Eren keeps in the drawers. The shorter man purposely leaves the bathroom door open, and Eren’s pants feel uncomfortably tight at the sight of Levi's borrowed shirt rising up on his thighs. 

“Only if you promise not to order pizza from that shitty place again.” Levi guides the door close with a smirk and Eren flops back onto the bed. “You better not be fucking sleeping!” A groan tumbles out past Eren's lips as he bolts upright and rubs his eyes. 

“You remind me of my mother!” he shouts back. “Only more vulgar.” 

Levi doesn't let Eren cook breakfast, so he stands to the side admiring his new personal chef while Levi cracks eggs into a pan. His hands move quick, careful to keep the yolk from breaking. The counters sparkle under Levi's care, a contrast to the mess they would be under Eren's. As he stands leaning against the kitchen wall, Eren realizes he loves watching Levi do  _ anything _ . The amount of tranquility that comes with watching Levi works sends a smile spreading over Eren's face like butter on bread. He licks his lips at the sight of Levi's barely dressed frame cooking breakfast for them like he's Eren’s beautiful housewife. What Eren wouldn't give to keep him here. 

“Stop staring at me, you perverted brat.” A dish rag flies into Eren's face, snapping him away from his fantasies. 

“My thoughts were innocent.” His hands, palms spread wide and thrown into the air in surrender, are met with a glare. Levi sets out a plate of eggs for each of them, over-easy with a side of bacon and a glass of orange juice. Eren greedily shovels down the food while Levi stares in slight disgust. A roll of paper towel gets tossed at Eren, and his hand shoots out barely in time to catch it before it hits his face. “Hey, wanna spend the day together?” Levi looks up from his plate, no doubt amused at Eren’s question.

“No, I was going to cook us breakfast then spend the rest of my day staring at my wall.” Sarcasm drips from Levi’s voice; Eren throws the paper towel roll right back. Levi catches it in time and settles it down on the table, far from Eren’s reach. 

“We can go to the aquarium.”

“You’re a cliche.” 

“Then you think of something.” Eren ruffles Levi’s hair as he stands, finished plate in hand. “And don’t say business suit shopping or watching documentaries about mergers.” Levi mocks offense and joins Eren by sink with his own plate. 

“Is that what you think I do in my free time?” 

“Want to prove me wrong?” Eren leans close so that their foreheads touch. Levi has him trapped against the sink, and Eren has to admit how hot is when Levi tries to be intimidating towards him. 

“It’s on, you little shit.” 

They end up spending the day visiting random Halloween stores and trying on costumes, which exhausts the shit out of both of them. Neither actually  _ buys _ anything from said Halloween stores, which exhausts the shit out of the people working there. 

Eren and Levi collapse onto Levi’s couch later that night, Eren being too tired to comment on how fucking big Levi’s house is compared to his apartment. They turn on Netflix and Eren suggests they find that documentary on mergers, which makes Levi clamp a hand over his mouth. The night ends with  _ Hocus Pocus _ playing on Levi’s giant TV screen, Lincoln sleeping at Eren’s feet, and Levi cuddled in Eren’s arms on the couch. It’s perfect to the both of them. 

 

When Levi drops Eren off for work the next day, there’s no awkward goodbye as the two of them ignite a staring contest inside the car like the last time. Instead, a soft kiss touches Levi’s cheek, making the man blush and duck his head. Calloused fingers brush away strands of midnight black hair from Levi’s face and Eren leans in again. 

“I’m already liking you way too much.” Eren’s lips are mere centimeters away, but Levi’s heart is beating too quickly. Moving might stop it all together. Eren does it for him, pulling Levi to him like some sort of puppeteer, and boy does Eren know where all of Levi’s strings are. He tugs on each and every one of them as they kiss, lost in each other and trying to lose themselves even deeper. Fuck the people walking by, staring at the way Levi melts against Eren’s hold. Actually… Eren becomes increasingly aware of how Levi gets when they kiss, when they touch. 

And Eren wants that all to himself. Levi’s soft moans and whimpers, the way his stormy eyes beg for Eren’s hands on his body, lips glistening with Eren’s kiss. The green eyed male wants it all for himself. It’s a desire so strong even the thought of someone else’s hands on Levi makes Eren ferocious. His hands become desperate, pulling and tugging at Levi’s clothes, wanting so much more than the smaller man can give him at the moment. Sharp teeth gnaw gently at the delicate skin on Levi’s neck as Eren mouths at him, careful not to leave any marks. 

“We’re both going to be late,” Levi pants, words lost in a series of moans when Eren’s fingers brush against his crotch. 

“I don’t give a fuck.” A breathy laugh leaves Levi’s lips and Eren has to pull back for a moment and admire how beautiful the man looks, cheeks pink and lips red from kissing. Strands of black hair stick in every direction on Levi’s head, and  _ god why does he look like he’s just been fucked? _ Hands reach for him again, but this time Levi pulls away until his back is pressed against the car door. Reveling in the way Levi smiles coyly at him, Eren leans over the center console. “Don’t make me chase you, Lee.”

“We have work, Eren,” Levi says, ignoring the way his heart jumps at Eren’s new nickname for him. “One of us has to be the adult here.” Despite his serious tone, Levi doesn’t want Eren to leave his car. He stretches, arms raised to the roof of the car until they can’t go any higher and he’s sure his shirt has shown just the perfect amount of his skin. Inwardly, he cheers at the fire in Eren’s eyes as the other man watches, hungry like a tiger waiting to be fed. 

“Keep teasing me and neither of us are going to work today.” Grabbing Levi’s hands, Eren press another urgent kiss to his lips before opening the car door and begrudgingly climbing out. Gray eyes train themselves on Eren’s body as the man exits Levi’s car. “Hey, Saturday at eight. Don’t forget, okay?” It sounds almost pleading, but Eren doesn’t give a shit. Levi nods, his cheeks still pink and hair more tousled than it was when he woke up. 

“Saturday at eight. I won’t forget.” 

 

A whole week until he’s able to see Eren… It makes Levi grouchy. People part to let him through when Levi enters the lobby of Smith Enterprise, a towering pillar right smack in the middle of Sina City. The lobby is like any other, uninteresting and crowded with men and women in suits. Not dwelling much on the looks he’s receiving as he makes his way to the elevators, Levi nearly collides with a bouncing Hanji. She can barely stay on her toes as she comes running at him, grin manic as always. Unlike most of the other people in the building, the scowl on Levi’s face doesn’t affect Hanji’s mood. She shoves him into an elevator and taps the close button for the doors. 

“Did you guys do the nasty?” Levi sneers. “You had the whole weekend!”

“What?” 

“You  _ know _ . Did you?” A pointy finger jabs at his arm and he reels back, disgusted. 

“Fuck off!” Hanji corners him, eyes glinting danger behind her glasses. 

“I practically delivered Eren to you! Just give me a few details in return!”

“What is wrong with you?!” 

The elevator doors open and both Hanji and Levi freeze. For a moment, all either of them hear is the sound of classic elevator music, chiming happily and carelessly around them. Everything smells like cologne, like they’ve just entered a Calvin Klein commercial. Levi pushes Hanji off him. 

Blond hair gold even under the shitty elevator light is the first thing Levi sees, the first thing his eyes dance over. A marble jawline and high cheekbones help make up Erwin’s supermodel face, and guilt immediately floods Levi. 

It was only two days ago that Erwin came back and confessed his love to Levi, and it only took Levi a mere few hours to betray him. Of all the shitty things Levi has done in his life, cheating on his partner was never one of them. Does it even count as cheating? There was no sex, but kissing Eren counts, right? Did Erwin even  _ say _ he and Levi are in a relationship now? Levi’s head hurts.  

“Good morning, Smithy,” Hanji beams, hand rising in a mock salute. Erwin nods at her in acknowledgement. 

“Good morning.” Ice blue eyes linger on Levi for too long, and for a dragging, fear-filled moment, Levi wonders if Erwin knows. “Did you get started on organizing the new budget?” Erwin asked, tone so casual that it chases Levi's paranoia away.  _ Everything's fine. Just play it cool until you figure out what you should do _ . 

“Yeah. I'm almost done.” The elevator ride is too damn long. He feels suffocated under both Hanji’s and now Erwin’s scrutinizing stares. “Just have to work out a few things.” The doors part open and they stare into the empty hallway. 

“Isn't this your floor, Hanji?” Erwin probably didn't mean to sound so stern, but Hanji doesn't need anymore encouragement to tell that she isn't wanted. As she slips out of the elevator, she turns to wave apologetically at Levi. 

“About your party last Saturday…” The words linger in the air, joining the already tension-filled atmosphere.  _ Can’t this fucking elevator move any faster? _

“You left early.” It bites to hear the words come out of his mouth. Erwin makes it sound like exactly what it was, betrayal. He turns to Levi, expression blank and cool. It's a face Levi has looked at so many times before, and guilt makes him look down at his feet in shame. “Did you not say you wanted more time with me?” 

“Yes! I mean, I did say that.” Fuck. Levi shuffles his feet, eyes still on anywhere else but Erwin's face. 

“Then why did you leave without telling me that night? You didn’t even bother to call the next day and apologize.” The elevator feels so tight and every second feels like it's dragging itself out, basking in Levi’s suffering. “Look at me, Levi.” He doesn't dare disobey. Erwin's eyes aren't anything like Eren’s, whose soft green eyes wash Levi over in calmness and security. Erwin's are brutal and cold, Antarctica compared to Eren's Amazonian green. 

“I’m-” The elevator walls feel cold even against his sweater when Levi’s back slams into it. He flinches, shivering when Erwin presses into him, a tall looming figure compared to Levi’s petiteness. “What are you doing?”

“You hurt me,” Erwin says, bending down so that his forehead touches Levi’s. Wisps of gold hair fall into Levi’s eyes. “I thought you loved me.” Words, whichever ones Levi was going to push out of his already parted lips, can’t express how completely apprehensive he is in that moment. “I came back for you, Levi. I gave you what you wanted, didn’t I? I told you I love you!” A fist bangs against the wall, but it’s nothing compared to the pounding in Levi’s head. Grey eyes squeeze shut, no longer able to, no longer  _ wanting _ to see Erwin’s pained expression. 

_ He’s right. I fucked up. _

“I’m sorry.” It comes as a whisper, barely there and so soft he wonders if he had actually said it at all. What was he thinking? Last night with Eren was  _ nothing _ . Nothing compared to years and years of history with Erwin. Eren didn’t pull Levi out from his mess of a senior year at college. Eren didn’t throw Levi into rehab and pushed him to actually start  _ living  _ his life. Erwin practically gave Levi everything he has now. Not Eren. So doesn’t that mean Levi owes Erwin the entire world? “Fucking shit, I’m so sorry.” He slides to the floor, feeling the tears gather at the corner of his eyes. He swallows back a sob, but a whimper still manages to make it past his lips. A hand, large and cold, ruffles Levi’s hair. 

“Take the day off and come over to my place.” Lips press against Levi’s neck as Erwin helps him to his feet. Erwin sneaks another kiss on Levi’s cheek, and with his head tilted this way, Levi can see the glowing elevator buttons. At some point, Erwin had pressed the emergency stop button. It shines at Levi, menacing and cruel. “We’re going to be okay.” 

 

“Eren, fuck! You shot me, Dipshit, I’m on your team!” Jean throws up his hand and the controller goes flying. It’s caught before it hits the window by a frowning Mikasa, her eyes burning holes into Jean’s apologetic face. 

“Watch what you’re doing, Horse Face!” Eren shouts, which doesn’t help the situation in the slightest. The old TV stutters when he turns it off, bored with the shooting game they were playing. 

“Stop calling me that, you dick!” 

“Stop looking like a horse then!” 

“The next time you two play video games, please don’t do it in front of me.” Both boys get a pillow smacked over their heads. Mikasa rolls her eyes at them, but the humor lingers on her face. Eren, ever the drama queen, rubs spot with a whine.

“Why are you so violent?” he pouts. 

“Why are you so bad at video games?” she shoots back. Eren whips around when Jean laughs, and aims another pillow at his two-toned head of hair. 

“Fuck off, Horse Head.” 

“I will once you get better at-” The pillow flies. It knocks Jean off his spot on the couch, balanced on the tattered arm. “My head!”

“Eren!” Armin scolds him, climbing down the stairs into the basement in a hurry. 

“Sorry. At least we know he can’t get any more stupid, so the fall really won’t do much damage.” Eren sticks his tongue out at Jean, who glares daggers at him as Armin fusses. 

“Are you okay? You were in a bad mood the entire day.” Mikasa tugs on Eren’s arm to get his attention, but he’s already lost in his phone. She tries again, shoving him lightly. When he looks up, Mikasa sees the worry in his eyes. “What did he do? I thought that date went well.” 

That’s what Eren told her when he walked into the clinic on Monday, still glowing from kissing Levi so hard. He couldn’t stop talking about it all day, and it drove Mikasa crazy, but now he’s moping around and snapping over nothing. 

It’s Wednesday, and Eren woke up feeling like any other day, a little cold from the heat not working right like it should but it doesn’t bother him much. Usually, nothing bothers him much. Not the squeaking of the floorboards when he walks on them or the too loud neighbors upstairs having ridiculously vulgar hate-sex at eight in the fucking morning. Okay, that bothers him more than a little, but he could usually ignore it. Just turn up the music and ignore the drama happening upstairs. But then today, Wednesday, which isn’t even a fucking good day to begin with because it’s smack right in the middle of the week and it’s been a damn  _ long _ week, he gets a text. From Levi.

Eren jumps in joy like a hormonal teenage boy when he gets texts from Levi, but this one only said one thing. Bluntly and coolly, like he doesn’t give a shit how Eren would feel about it, Levi texted, “Going to be busy for the next few weeks so I’m cancelling whatever plans we made.” 

What the  _ fuck _ is Eren supposed to do with that? He texted back, because something definitely happened between that text and Monday when Levi dropped him off at the clinic. Eren texted back, waited ten minutes for a reply, then called. Nothing. It’s like Levi fell off the face of the Earth. Stopping by Levi’s house crossed Eren’s mind, but he hardly remembers the address since it was Levi that drove them there in the first place. 

Eren can’t help feeling like he did something wrong, like maybe not everything was as great as he thought. He hates this, tethering between two places like he’s a fucking volleyball, bouncing back between everything-is-fantastic and  where-did-I-fuck-up. 

So yeah, he’s been moody all morning and it drove everyone around him crazy, but can you really blame him?

“Levi cancelled on me.” Armin gasps, pausing in the middle of applying an ice pack to Jean’s head. 

“Oh, no. Did he say why?” 

“Just that he’s busy, but he’s not answering my calls or texts.” Eren checks his phone again, hoping that’ll change. 

“Maybe he  _ is _ busy. Give it a day.” But Eren feels like he knows Levi, and isn’t that preposterous? They’ve only met a handful of days ago, but Eren knows this isn’t the type of thing Levi does. 

“What if I did something wrong?”

“Eren, you didn’t. He’s a lawyer, right? So maybe something came up at work. Give it a day.” Mikasa strokes his hair, and Eren can’t thank his friends enough for always comforting him even when he’s been an ass to them the entire day. He stares down at his phone, at the lack of notifications from Levi, and sighs. 

“Yeah. I’m sure we’re going to be okay.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like every time I post a new chapter it's always in the middle of the night. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The angst is only beginning... ; )


	7. Okay

Levi wakes to the sound of cabinets slamming and dishes clattering. Sleep clouds his eyes and the tempting warmth of the bed makes him feel conflicted about getting up and investigating the noise. Another crash followed by a string of curses coaxes Levi out of bed anyway, and he groans when his feet hit the cold wooden floor. 

This isn’t his room. 

Marble white curtains flutter by the cracked open windows and black and white art hang perfectly spaced on the dark gray walls. 

It’s Erwin’s room. 

Levi untangles himself from the white silk sheets and reach for the pile of neatly folded clothes Erwin must have left him. The noise from the kitchen still vibrates through the house and Levi begrudgingly follows it, sleep arguing with him the entire way. 

Marble counters and wooden cabinets are dusted over in flour, the substance painting the room a sickly white. Levi sneers at it, disgusted at the mess. He’s used to waking up early, but rarely does Levi wake up to such a disaster. 

“I tried to make breakfast,” Erwin says, a sheepish expression on his face. “It did not go as plan, which you can probably tell.” He gestures to his chaos of a kitchen and Levi has to smirk at the sight of the usually immaculate Erwin covered head to toe in flour. Levi walks over, tilting his head and intending for a good morning kiss. He falters when Erwin pats his head and hands Levi a towel. “Help me clean up.” 

“I’m going to take a shower first.” He rubs his eyes and sets the towel Erwin handed him on the counter. “Want to join?” Levi does his best sultry expression, but drops it when he sees that Erwin isn’t looking. The blond male is staring poignantly at his phone, which is also covered in bits of lumpy flour.

“I’ll take one after you.” With that Levi strolls off, disappointed.  

It’s Saturday morning, and Levi did not anticipate that wiping crusty flour off of Erwin’s kitchen counters is going to be how he spends his day, but that’s what he does. Levi mumbles curses after curses as he drags another wet rag over the marble counters, hating the way the pads of his fingers wrinkle. The bathroom door parts open and steam escapes into the hallway. Erwin emerges, still wet and wearing only a black towel around his waist; he waves at Levi. Something inside Levi stirs, and it comes so unexpected that he halts his cleaning and furrows his brows at Erwin’s turned back. Then Levi shoves the odd feeling away, keeps it sealed shut and locked in the recesses of his mind. 

When they finish cleaning, Levi offers to make breakfast, but by that time it’s noon. They settle on a lunch, and Levi tries his best to negotiate a casual lunch at a normal restaurant. He ultimately fails.  

The restaurant Erwin chooses has chandeliers hanging over its guests, each red clothed table bathed in soft honey-colored light. A woman in an elegant black dress pulls a bow back and forth over her cello, eyes closed and body swaying in rhythm. Levi wants to die. 

“What is it?” A pair of blue eyes peek at him over a menu, and Levi feels his posture straightening. 

“I said  _ casual _ . This is where I would take someone if I was fucking proposing to them.” As soon as the words leave his mouth Levi wants to vomit, but Erwin doesn’t look fazed. He shrugs, and glances back down to his menu. 

“I don’t want to eat in a shitty restaurant.” Levi bites back his comment and glares at his menu. It’s nothing to get angry over, so he pushes that away too. “Do you want calamaris?”

“Is this a date?” The question makes Erwin frown. The menus are set down as the two stare at each other, lips in thin lines. 

“We can’t just get lunch anymore?” 

“Not at a place like this, no.” A sigh leaves Erwin’s lip; it lingers in the air and makes Levi shift in his seat. They had spent the week together, and Levi thought that meant something to Erwin. 

“Levi…” 

“I need to know where we stand. I don’t like this, not knowing what our relationship is.”

“Why does everything need a label?” Erwin’s eyes narrow at Levi’s expression, seeing the hurt and frustration there. He softens. “I love you, isn’t that enough?”

Levi wants to say no, that it’s somehow  _ isn’t  _  enough, not anymore. But that would bring back those feelings from before, and the last thing Levi wants is to fight with Erwin right now. 

“Fine.” He gives in for now, even though the lack of a solid label makes him anxious and paranoid. “Have you seen my phone? I might have left it at my house.” Levi misses the comfort of having the device in his hands, but he hasn’t seen the thing since Wednesday. 

“I’ll look in my car later. Maybe you left it there.” Levi nods, and picks his menu back up. From across the table, Erwin watches him, careful and calculating. “Do you have plans tonight?” 

Levi hesitates.  _ Eren _ . He almost fucking forgot about Eren. 

“Yeah.” He should go talk to Eren, apologize. Canceling over the phone sounds like such a dick move. “I have something to do at eight.” Erwin nods, face empty of emotions. Levi stares at him for a moment, trying to find any clues as to what Erwin’s thinking. 

“Do you need a ride?” Imagining Erwin shaking Eren's hand has Levi feeling uncomfortable. He declines the offer. No need for tonight to get any worse. 

“I'll be fine.” 

 

He isn’t fine. Levi isn’t fine at all. He stands in front of the ice skating rink, hands stuffed into his jacket pocket. Bursts of autumn wind hit him as he waits. Couples walk past him every few minutes, their arms wrapped around each other as they hurry inside the building. It’s 8:15, and Levi wonders if it’s just Eren’s thing, being late. Fingers absentmindedly dig into his pocket for his phone before he remembers it’s still lost somewhere between his house and Erwin’s. What if Eren had called? What if Eren had canceled?  _ No. That’s ridiculous.  _ Why does it hurt so much to picture Eren standing him up? Levi stares at his shoes, the only pair of casual sneakers he has, and frowns. 

He never dated much; he hooked up plenty of times, though. But that isn’t the same as  _ dating _ . Nothing like being in a  _ relationship _ . You don’t tell someone you love them when you’re hooking up. You don’t make them breakfast and give them good morning kisses the day after. You don’t miss the way they smell, or the sound of their laughter. And Levi wants that with Erwin, wants to memorize all the details, all his quirks and charms. Wants to know Erwin as quickly as he knew Eren. 

A flash of brown hair appears in the corner of his eyes and Levi looks up, expectant. His smile falters, then deepens into a frown when he sees that it isn’t Eren, doesn’t even  _ resemble _ Eren in the slightest. 

He should have memorized Eren’s phone number, should’ve asked to borrow Erwin’s phone, or Hanji’s. He should’ve called to make sure the date was still on. Levi glares at the cracks in the sidewalk, and if imperfections in cement were sentient, they would have cowered. 

8:30.  _ Fuck _ . Call Levi stubborn; he doesn’t give a shit. He’s going to stand there until nine if it fucking means Eren might show up, and if he doesn’t, Levi’s going straight to his apartment and demanding answers. 

_ Yeah? And then what are you going to do after that? Yell at him for standing you up and then say, “oh, by the way, this thing between us is over cause Erwin wants to fuck me again,”? _ . 

Ice cold fingers thread through his hair, and a long sigh finds its way past his lips.  _ What the hell am I doing? _

A car drives up, gleaming black and reeking of money. It’s the type of cars CEO’s drive, and it makes Levi pale. 

“What are you doing here?” he asks when the driver steps out. Erwin raises a thick eyebrow at him. 

“I should be asking you the same thing, Levi.” He holds out his hand like a disapproving parent and Levi hesitates. Erwin’s fingers are large, warm against Levi’s chilled ones. “I was driving by and I saw you.” Erwin pulls him closer until Levi can feel the heat vibrating off of him. Then Erwin bends down, and a part of Levi screams at him to move. To move  _ where _ he doesn’t know. “Aren’t you cold?” A hat drops over his head and he grumbles as he pushes it away from his eyes.  _ I thought you were going to kiss me _ . 

“I’m fine. Go home, I’ll-”

“So this is what busy means.” The voice is biting, cruel with an edge of pain, but so familiar. Gray eyes snap up away from Erwin and to the man standing in the parking lot, black leather jacket swung over his shoulder. 

Eren’s eyes glow under the street light, more gold than green now as he glares daggers at Erwin and Levi. He approaches them, sneering at the way Erwin tightens his grip on Levi’s hand, neither Eren or Erwin noticing the frantic look in Levi’s eyes. 

“Here I was thinking you were swarmed with work so you couldn’t answer my fucking texts or calls. I’m an idiot, huh, Lee?” Eren might as well have punched him in the gut, because that’s what it feels like to Levi. He takes a step backwards and jerks away from Erwin’s touch. When Levi doesn’t speak, Eren continues, head cocked to the side and lips curled in a vicious manner. But his eyes are full of hurt, betrayal, and it rocks Levi to the core. “Talk, Levi. You’re cheating on me?”

“We weren’t dating.” He regrets it the minute the words leave his mouth, the minute Eren’s angry expression twists into one of hurt. 

“Then what were we doing?” he asks, quieter this time. 

“Whatever it was, it’s over. Let's go home, Levi.” He feels Erwin tug on his arm, having caught Levi in a state of shock. Erwin tugs, but Levi’s like a boulder. He doesn’t move, just stands there gaping at Eren with wide gray eyes. 

“I…” He doesn’t know what to say. What  _ should _ he say? He was going to end it anyway, right? He had chosen Erwin. Wouldn’t he always choose Erwin? Didn’t he own Erwin that? Eren tears his eyes away, breaking their contact. Levi can see him battling with his emotions, and he hates not knowing what Eren is thinking, feeling, shoving away. “Er-”

“It’s okay. Forget it. You’re right, we weren’t dating. We were just very intimate friends that made out a lot.” Eren laughs it off, but it sounds awkward and fake. His voice cracks. A crushing moment passes as he stares at Levi’s fingers tangled in another man’s. Eren’s throat feels like he’d swallowed sand. 

Levi doesn’t respond, doesn’t have the right words. He still refuses to move when Erwin nudges him, but he can feel his legs giving in to the tugs. 

“I came because I thought skating would clear my mind. Ironic, right?” Eren shakes his head. Levi feels sick when he sees the amused expression on Eren’s face. “Fuck this.” He stares, tongue feeling heavy in his mouth, as Eren walks back to his car. 

“Levi, let's go home.” Levi’s fingers wrench out of Erwin’s. His lips curl into a snarl, as anger and guilt floods his system. 

“How did you know I was here?” Levi asks, trying his best to keep his eyes on Erwin and not on the blue Nissan currently racing away. 

“What are you-”

“When I left, you were at work. Why were you driving down this road?”Erwin rolls his eyes and strolls over to his car, impatient. 

“I was on my way home.”

“Do I look like a fucking dumbass to you?” 

“What?” Levi can feel his heart beating, thumping, pounding away in his chest, a steady rhythm in the storm brewing over the both of them. 

“Home is in the  _ other _ direction, Erwin.” The blond man falters and rage boils Levi’s blood. “I’m going to ask you one more time. How did you know I was here?” 

Erwin sighs, rolling his clear blue eyes once more in exasperation. Then he reaches into his coat pocket, and pulls out Levi’s phone. 

 

“There are plenty of other fish in the sea.”

“Did you just fucking say that to my face?” Eren grabs the bag of chips out of Jean’s hand with a growl. “Go eat shit, Horse Head.” Jean throws up his hands and chuckles nervously. 

“Someone’s touchy.” 

He had raced home, then sat in his parking lot for five minutes before realizing that he doesn’t want to be alone right now. It was a mistake driving to Jean’s and Armin’s place, though. All Armin has done since Eren arrived is offer him hugs and ask if he wants snacks. 

Eren stares at the chip bag, fighting the urge to punch something. He didn’t think Levi would do something like that, didn’t think Levi was capable of something so cruel. Eren’s heart felt like it had stopped when he stepped out of his car and saw them standing on the sidewalk, hand in hand like some lovesick couple. He feels so fucking stupid for getting attached to Levi, for letting yet another person stomp on his heart. Eren squeezes his eyes shut and plops down on Jean and Armin’s couch. 

“Hey,” Jean says, nudging Eren until his green eyes blink open. Armin’s rummaging around in the kitchen, probably still trying to feed Eren. “I know you’re going through love drama right now, but like, wanna help a bro out?” 

“You’re not my bro.” 

“Ouch.” Jean fakes being wounded, eyes sneaking a glance over to Armin’s bent figure in the kitchen. 

“What do you want, Jean?” The couch squeaks when Eren shifts his position. 

“I want to ask Armin out, but I don’t know if he’s into me like that.”

“Damn, you’re stupid.” Something smacks against his head and Eren’s hand immediately goes to pick up one of the decorative pillows Armin insists on keeping on the couch. “Do that one more time, Kirstein, I fucking dare you.”

“No.” The pillow finds a spot in Eren’s lap instead as the man looks over to where Armin is, completely unaware of their conversation. “So he likes me?”

“He’s liked you for years.” Eren swings the pillow at Jean, playfully this time. “It’s about time you realized it.”

“Realize what?” Armin shows up in the living room, a bowl of caramel covered popcorn in hand. Just as Eren suspected, Armin holds it out to him. 

“That Jean’s been wearing his shirt backwards the entire day.” Eren denies the popcorn and rises, stretching. 

“You have?” Armin asks, leaning over to check. 

“I already fixed it,” Jean replies, but he doesn’t shy away from Armin’s touch. Eren watches them for a moment with a smile, glad at least someone in the room has their love life in order. 

“I’m gonna head home.”

“Are you sure?” The atmosphere feels so warm and pleasant, and Eren wants to bask in it a little longer, but he doesn’t want to intrude. 

“Yeah. Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

The car ride isn’t so bad, not when he has the radio blasting and the windows down. The cold air helps keep his thoughts at bay, helps him focus on the road. The moon is full tonight, an orb of light in the dark sky. Levi’s eyes are probably near the same color as the moon, maybe a shade darker. 

_ Well there goes not thinking about Levi _ . Eren can’t help it. Mikasa was right, he should have been more careful. He really thought he was. Eren flexes his fingers on the steering wheel, humming along to the music. It’s over. There’s nothing he can do. Sucks, because he really liked being with Levi. 

The Nissan glides into the parking lot, music no longer blasting out of respect for his neighbors. Eren drags himself across the lot, feeling depressed and tired. He needs a hot shower, maybe a good Netflix binge. He steps up to the front of his building and pauses, eyes wide. 

Levi is sitting on the steps, staring up at Eren like a lost kitten. His phone is gripped in his hand, knuckles white. Eren has to rub his eyes, convince himself he’s not dreaming and Levi’s really there, looking as beautiful as ever. Eren wants to be mad at him, wants to ignore him and continue his trek to his apartment,  but he can’t. Not when Levi whimpers as Eren passes by. Not when Levi bites on his plump bottom lip, gray eyes more mesmerizing than anything else Eren has ever seen. 

“Come on.” He holds the door open and Levi leaps to his feet. As Levi brushes past him, Eren grabs his arm. “We’re going up to my apartment, and you’re going to explain.” Levi stares at him, and Eren feels his heart sped up. 

“Okay.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready for more angst in the next chapter?   
> I realize I almost always post at midnight... Updates are going to start getting more regular, probably once every week?   
> Thanks to everyone who left kudos and/or comments. It really makes me happy to know you guys are enjoying the fic.


	8. But You Still Love Him

Standing there in the parking with Erwin, Levi felt more lost than he ever had before. The sight before him registered slowly in his mind, Erwin holding up his phone like a parent holding up a confiscated toy. A million thoughts occurred to him at once, the facade that was Erwin Smith shattered like glass as Levi took a hammer to it. Broken glass on an already broken ground. They teetered on it, waiting for the other to make the first move; two chess players, a King and his once most dutiful Knight.  

“I honestly can’t believe you didn’t look harder for it.” The words coming out of Erwin’s mouth felt sick, twisted, and Levi prayed his instincts were wrong. “Most people can’t go a day without their phones.” God never listened to him anyway. The device traveled through the air in slow motion, as did everything around Levi, the biting wind, the whispers of music playing inside the skating rink. He caught the phone in his hands, but never took his eyes off Erwin. “I suppose you’d like an explanation,” Erwin said, voice so condescendingly calm. “But it should be obvious. You’re mine, Levi. I expect you to be honest with me. I don’t share, and I don’t like having to repeat myself. What can he give you that I can’t? Why aren’t I enough?” 

The scent of Erwin’s expensive cologne, the piercing blue of his eyes, the golden glow of his hair, a halo Levi had always imagined. All things he once adored. When did he start comparing Erwin to someone else? 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” The question surprised the blond man, as did the coldness of Levi’s tone. 

“Excuse me?”

“Stop making yourself the victim, Erwin, you manipulating fucker. You stole  _ my _ phone, lied to me for an entire  _ week _ ,  _ fucking stalked me here _ , and you still have the balls to try and make me feel guilty?” The amount of anger Levi felt is unrecognizable to even him, and coupled with the sense of betrayal, it was enough to make him want to punch something. “I’m not cheating on you, if that’s what you're implying. I came here because I thought I should be a fucking decent  _ human being _ and tell Eren the truth instead of standing him up  _ again _ . What, you don’t trust me? I’m still that messed up kid you tried to fix, is that it?” The need to take his anger out on something was overwhelming. He took a step back and shoved his fingers roughly through his hair, breath ragged. 

“It doesn’t matter what you intended to do. I know you, Levi. I know how easily you give into temptation.”

“I’m not the same person who needed your charity, and fuck you for thinking that.” 

All of these years, trying to make himself into a person deserving of Erwin, it hurt so fucking much to know none of it mattered. Erwin would forever see him as someone to fix, and Levi would forever be nothing more than a broken doll to him. “I’m sick of your shit.”

“I’m looking out for you! I’ve always been looking out for you!” 

“I don’t need you to anymore!” God did he hope that was true. 

“Fine! Do whatever you fucking want. When you fuck up, Levi, remember who it is that loves you. I’ve always taken care of you, even when everyone thought all you were doing was hurting me. You were  _ nothing _ until I  _ made _ you into something, and when you’re ready to drop this shit show and come back, you better bring a thorough apology with you.” 

 

It’s not in his intentions to bring any form of apology to Erwin. Levi has always been stubborn, but now he’s angry and hurt. 

Car horns scream curses at each other outside Eren’s living room window, and Levi glares at the glass, at his frowning reflection. The flimsy blue curtains wave at him, teased by a soft breeze drifting in. It sends a shiver over him, looking into those melancholy gray eyes of his mirror self. 

A dive into his past with Erwin, as deep and as dark as the Mariana Trench, makes Levi wish he had a bottle in his hand and another one waiting on the coffee table. Eren’s coffee table is bare of any alcoholic drink, unfortunately, but it’s stained wooden surface has not been deprived of candy wrappers and comic books. Levi stares hard at the bubble-shaped smudge discoloring the coffee table. If he squints, the muddy brown blob becomes a flattened elephant, it’s already lopsided trunk stuck under a pile of  _ Aquaman _ comic books. Levi’s eyes drift up from the messy table until they meet emerald green, brightened by the apartment’s fluorescent lights. 

“I don’t know where to start.” His voice sounds like gravel, worn out from his previous screaming match with Erwin. The cold bites at his fingers, even though Eren’s apartment is warm enough. The wool scarf feels constricting around his neck, so he pulls it off and hides his fingers in the fabric. 

“Start anywhere.” Eren should be mad. That was what Levi anticipated as his car crawled to a stop in front of Eren’s tiny apartment building. He sat there for a long time with the heat running, hands gripping the wheel while his mind went over every outcome possible. When he couldn’t decide which one he liked best, Levi traded the comfort of his car for the building’s cold front porch. 

If Eren’s angry, he doesn’t show it. The man is composed, a patient expression clear on his face. Levi wonders if it’s a mask he’s perfected, but cuts himself off before he starts over analyzing the look on Eren’s face. “Just  _ talk  _ to me, Levi.” No one has ever said his name so sweetly, with a want that has nothing to do with lust. 

Driving all the way to Eren’s apartment was impulsive, something younger Levi would have done. Guilt refused to let up on him, nagging at him the entire car ride. Apologize, his entire body seemed to be screaming at him. Strange that they sent him to Eren and farther away from the man he spent years running towards. 

Erwin and Levi had many beginnings. Their pasts so tangled together that Levi can no longer make out which pieces are his. The cords are beginning to unravel, or they’ve been unraveling for some time and Levi’s only now noticed, but if he traces back his own string, there is a point where he finds that it had wrapped and knotted itself so tightly around Erwin’s that it seems impossible either strand can be separated now. 

Picking a starting place is like dipping his hand in a jar of jellybeans and plucking one out in hopes that it’s just the right blend of sour and sweet, just good enough that Eren will let him continue to take up room on his couch. 

“My mother married rich, but my parents were in love. My dad was a businessman, and he did all sorts of shady shit,” Levi begins, pausing to meet Eren’s eyes. “He died when I was in my senior year of highschool. He got in deep with the wrong people and the cops found his body in an alley. My mom got diagnosed with cancer two years later-”

“You don’t have to tell me this.” Eren’s hand is on his, reaching across the table to blanket over Levi’s thumb. 

“You wanted me to explain, brat. That’s what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, about that guy, not your parents.” Levi shakes his head before Eren can finish his sentence. 

“My fucked up teenage years has everything to do with Erwin.” There’s a long silence as Levi watches Eren’s narrowed eyes, sees the wheels grinding in his head. 

“Is that his name?” The words are said softly, barely a whisper, and Levi feels crushed by the guilt of the past weeks, leading Eren on, not telling him sooner, not warning him about the mess Levi is. 

“He lived in the house next door and I would see him playing frisbee on the lawn with his friends. We never talked in high school, despite being in the same grade, but for some miraculous reason, we ended up at the same college. I was the guy that walked into class high, or hungover, if I bothered going to class at all, and Erwin was the annoying student that sat in the front, surrounded by his friends and making jokes with the teacher. 

“I went home with him one night after a party. I don’t even remember the specific details. I feel like I should, like they’re important, but we both intoxicated out of our minds. Or I was, at least. 

“Maybe I’m just that good at drunk sex, but he kept me around. He was like a guardian I didn’t ask for, incessant and annoying and he fucked up all of my highs. He scowled when I drank too much and made a big deal whenever I did drugs. We weren’t dating. We never dated. I was his casual fuck buddy and his charity case and he was the only person I had left after my mom died. Erwin dragged me out of hell, and I owe him everything. 

“So when he wanted me to get sober, I did. When he asked that I change my major and do pre-law with him, I did that, too. He could have asked me to start a new life with him in Antarctica and I would have done that, too. I would have bitched about it on the way to the airport though.” Levi pauses to glance at Eren, who smiles a bit from the last statement. “I hate ice and snow and penguins freak me out, but I would’ve hugged every fucking penguin in Antarctica if Erwin had asked. 

“I loved him, for years I followed him around like a lost puppy and marveled at everything he did. I thought he was perfect and I hated myself for loving him because he didn’t love me. He told me so many times, but whenever we fucked, I couldn’t help loving him. I had no one. There was only Erwin, and he didn’t want me like I wanted him. The only person I had left didn’t love me, so what else am I supposed to think other than that there’s something wrong with me?” Eren moves when he hears the crack in Levi’s voice. Tears threaten to spill at the corners of his sparkling gray eyes, and Eren wishes he could kiss them away. “I tried  _ everything _ , fucking changing myself over and over until I had his appraisal. Whenever he frowned at something I did, I felt physically sick.” 

Levi still remembers wanting to throw up after Erwin scolded him for acting rudely during one of his lavish house parties. He had punished Levi by refusing to speak to him for nearly a week.  

“I meet Hanji when Erwin offered me a job at his company, and she became someone else I could reply on. At some point, I must have doubted my feelings for Erwin, because we started fighting more. Then after one of those fights, I left in the middle of a business trip and rushed home to pick up Lincoln from your clinic.”

Eren remembers that, how he had thought Levi was an arrogant prick. 

“Erwin came back a few days later and told me he loves me, and I was ready to forget about you, about our date that night.”

“And Hanji didn’t let you.” Eren is pacing back and forth now, hand pushing back his hair. He’s frowning, and it makes Levi want to get up and comfort him. 

“No.”

“Maybe she should have.” They stare at each other, both wanting the other but too afraid of being rejected to make a move. Eren’s hand goes to his chest, and his bright green eyes seem dark as they narrow at Levi. “Maybe she should have let you be with him.”

“Eren…”

“You love him, right?” Levi can see it now, Eren’s rage displayed plainly on his shadowed face. No longer able to sit on the couch and watch, Levi springs to his feet and joins Eren by the window. “You strung me along, Levi. I  _ liked  _ you. I liked you so much. You broke my heart before I could even give it to you.” Fingers brush against Levi’s cold cheeks for a mere second, then they pull away so fast Levi wonders if they were there at all. When Eren steps away, Levi follows, a dance that tears at his heart. 

“I’m not done! Let me finish.” He sounds like he’s begging, desperate and pleading, but it’s Eren, so Levi doesn’t give a shit. “That weekend we spent together was the best weekend I’ve had in  _ years _ . You made me so happy, and all I wanted after you left my car was to see you again. Please believe me.”

“But you still love him.” The hurt in Eren’s eyes is clear. Levi aches in his desire to chase it away. 

“Erwin gave me everything. I don’t know who I am without him, or where I would have ended up if not for him.” Levi can feel tears fighting their way to his eyes; he presses the back of his hand against his lips. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I would never hurt you on purpose. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you spilled coffee all over my shirt. But he made me feel so  _ guilty _ . He made me feel like I committed some horrible sin because I wanted you you. I spent years loving him, Eren. Years living just for him. I can’t just wrap that all up and pretend it never happened! I was never good enough for him, and I loved him so much anyway. He used me and manipulated me, I see that now, but I can’t just stop loving him. You can hate for it, Eren. You wouldn’t be the first.” 

Hands grasp his wrist and pull him forward. Levi stumbles, tears already making their way down his cheeks as he mumbles his apologies. Eren’s body is warm, and Levi doesn’t hesitate to bury his head in the crook of Eren’s neck. Fingers play with the strands of Levi’s hair, and he stills, not wanting to move and disrupt the moment.  

“It’s okay,” Eren whispers after a long moment of silence. The sound of his voice so close to Levi’s ear is delightful in a way Levi can’t describe. “I think you should take some time to figure things out. You need to work out your feelings for him,” Eren says, voice low. “I’ll be here, and I’ll help you any way you want me to. I care about you, Levi. You’re grumpy, sarcastic, and you curse a lot, but I like you too much.” 

Someone liking him too much isn’t a concept Levi can grasp, but if it’s Eren, it’s definitely something he can get used to. 

It would be childish to protest when Eren breaks their embrace, so Levi bites down on his lip. A kiss presses against Levi’s forehead. The warmth coaxes him into closing his eyes.

“It’s been a long night. Do you want to stay over?” Levi doesn’t know if Eren expected any other answer except “yes,” but the taller man is already gently leading Levi to his bedroom. 

His cheeks flush red at the thought of spending the night in bed with Eren, and he has to remind himself that it’s  _ just sleep _ , and he’s slept with Eren before. Slept as in  _ sleep _ . Not… Fuck. Levi must have looked unsettled, because Eren cups his face in those warm hands until Levi is meeting his eyes. 

“Hey, I meant it. It’s okay. I’m a little upset, but I understand. We’ll talk more in the morning, okay?” What else can he do but nod in response and take the spare clothes that Eren hands him? Nostalgia and regret still plagues his mind even as he crawls into bed besides Eren. 

None of them are quite satisfied with the way the night ends; not Levi, who still feels like he’s being pushed and pulled in two directions, whose feelings of guilt refuse to let his dreams be peaceful. 

Not Eren. either, who lies awake staring at his bedroom ceiling and listening to Levi’s soft breathing. He doesn’t know what to do, doesn’t know what to think. What does one do when the person they like reveal something like Levi did? How can Eren compete with someone Levi has been loving for years? 

And Erwin… Erwin viciously yanks off his tie the second he gets home. He’s not one for mindless acts of anger, but he’s also never lost something he claimed as his. Levi was always his. Always loyal and dependent. They knew each other inside and out, but Erwin did not recognized the Levi that stood in front of him in the parking lot. They’ve fought plenty of times before, always the same argument. 

Low self-esteem and a lack of confidence never looked good on Levi, but they always show up and compelled the man to behave irrationally. Possessiveness over what is theirs is something both Levi and Erwin have in common, and tonight, it pitted them against each other. Tonight their fight was different, and it was Erwin who lost his perfect composure. Levi was fighting for something else, someone else, and it drove Erwin mad with jealousy. 

Levi was his,  _ is _ his, and he is not going to let some asshole with a shitty car take what is his. Hell will freeze over before Erwin loses Levi; he’ll make sure of that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please leave kudos and comments; I really appreciate your feedback!


	9. Just You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the explicit rating comes into play, so nsfw warning.

Levi's breath is shaky, coupled with stuttering moans and followed by low whimpers that he's trying to bite back. Silky thighs spread out over Eren's waist, pale fingers splayed across Eren's bare chest. No man has ever look as stunningly  _ delicious _ as Levi does now, bouncing slow and desperate on Eren's thick cock. Red lips parted open and gasping with every thrust look so damn delectable to Eren, who can't keep his hands to himself. He wants to touch Levi  _ everywhere _ , wants to cover the man in kisses and caresses, hickeys and bite marks. 

“You look so good, Levi, riding my dick like that.” Eren moans when his words cause Levi to tighten around him, cheeks flushed. He slows, hands keeping him balanced on top of Eren, and mumbles some incoherent words. At any other time, Eren would pause, would listen to whatever his adorable lover is trying to say, but now all Eren does is slams his hips upward, enticing a moan from Levi's wet lips. “What was that, darling? You like it when I praise you?” 

“S-shut up. You're so annoying.” The words don't match the way his face looks when Eren speaks again, lewd and teasing. 

“And you're beautiful like this. I want to fuck you in front of a mirror, so you can see how good you look taking my cock like a good boy.” Levi pulls him into a kiss, suddenly dominant and demanding. Eren chuckles, slipping a hand in between their bodies to stroke Levi's dripping cock. He brushes the pad of his thumb across the head of Levi's cock, earning a gasp followed by a frustrated grumble from man. “Aren't you going to go back to riding me, little lover?” 

“Not really the best time to insult my height, Eren,” Levi warns, but he does go back to moving his hips, gray eyes fluttering closed. 

“Look at me when you take my cock, Levi.” The man smirks, leaning down to brush his lips against Eren’s, eyes glowing silver in the moonlight. 

“Time to get the fuck up, Eren.” 

A pillow smacks him in the head, knocking him awake. He jolts up, trying to scramble his brain and gather the remaining fragments of that  _ beautiful dream _ before reality sets in. Too late. 

Mikasa stands at the foot of the bed, eyes narrowed into an impatient glare. The pillow must have been her doing, Eren thinks as he hugs it close. The pillow does a good job of hiding his erection, but Eren can’t keep the redness away from his cheeks. 

“Why are you in my house?” he asks. 

“It’s Sunday. You missed brunch.” Armin must have sent her. 

“You know, I gave you those keys for emergencies.” 

“It was an emergency to Armin.”  _ Yeah, okay. _ Eren rolls his eyes. 

“Fine. I’m sorry.” It’s a halfhearted apology at best, but Mikasa accepts it. “Now can you get out so I can shower?” She throws her hand up in surrender. 

The cold water down his back doesn’t do anything against the images in his head, pieces of last night’s dream, of  _ many _ nights’ dreams. It has been weeks since Eren told Levi to take some time and figure things out; everyday without a call from him has Eren all jumpy and frustrated. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe he should have told Levi he doesn't care about his complicated past with Erwin. 

Eren leans his head against the shower wall, letting water trail down his body while the pads of his fingers turn all wrinkly. 

They text each other frequently, sometimes for no other reason than to simply say hi. Levi hates small talk, but he doesn’t seem to oppose the little good morning and goodnight texts that Eren sends him. Sometimes, their conversation ventures off into nowhere, into maybes and what-ifs. Once, they found themselves talking about man eating giants roaming the woods. Another time, they texted about the possibility of vampires. The topic of the conversations hardly matters to Eren; he’d gladly talk about anything as long as it’s with Levi. 

Mikasa’s still standing in his kitchen by the time Eren has gotten dressed, and he strolls up to her with a cocked brow. 

“What are these?” She holds up several envelopes, all teared open at the edges. He makes a grab for them, but she’s faster. “Eren.” He hates when she turns his name into a warning, but he rolls his eyes regardless and heads to the fridge. “I asked you a question. What are these?”

“Invitations from the Queen. She wants to know if I will escort her to the ball next week.” Pizza, a carton of orange juice, and some leftover pie sits waiting in his mess of a fridge.  _ Imagine Levi’s dismay if he were here _ . 

“Eren, there are seven of these!” He shrugs, fingers grabbing the cold pizza. 

“The Queen is very persistent.” There’s a sinking feeling in his stomach that the pizza has gone bad, judging from the green speckles sprouting on its surface. He drops it into the trash. “Can we go get lunch?” 

“Answer me.”  _ Damn, it’s like she doesn’t know how to read. _

“They’re bills. Obviously.” He manages to grab one and turns it over. “My lovely dad never fully paid off the mortgage.”

“But the clinic makes so much money. Shouldn’t you at least be on top of the bills?” She’s pulling out all the letters, and Eren thinks about stopping her. The papers take up all the room on his little kitchen table. Not worth it, he decides. Once Mikasa is in mom-mode, she’ll remain like that until she’s satisfied. 

“I’m also paying off his debts to, like, a dozen shady people he borrowed money from.” He can tell by the look on her face what she’s about to say. He shakes his head immediately. “I’m not asking Levi for help.”

“Oh.” She looks sort of confused, like she's sure Eren would have jumped at the idea. “I thought you two had a sugar daddy type of thing-”

“Mikasa! No!” Levi might make a good sugar daddy, sure, to another Eren in another life.  _ This _ Eren wants to take care of Levi, wants to smother him in kisses and praises.  _ This _ Eren doesn't want to be taken care of, doesn't need it. Of course, Levi doesn't need to be doted on either. Not like that's going to stop Eren. 

“Just get those bills paid. And I'm always here if you need any help.” Eren's thankful for the offer, but he knows his best friend has her own financial issues to deal with. He pulls her into quick hug, then grabs his keys from the countertop. 

“So, lunch?” 

 

The soft tapping of gentle rain hitting the large window by their table is almost enough to lure him to sleep. Droplets collect on the glass surface, a dotted pattern of crystal-like teardrops that he traces his fingers over. It started raining a minute after they entered the coffee shop. Not a storm, but Eren scowls at the sight anyway. He prefers sunny weather. Rain messes with his mood. 

The lighting in the shop is dim, a soft honey gold that turns the edges of Mikasa’s hair red. Everything seems to glow, alight with its own halo cast by the low hanging lights. Eren basks in the warmth, the distinct smell of freshly brewed coffee, and the sweet smell of pastries sitting in the glass display cases. He eyes a particular box of strawberry twists, nearly drooling at the dusting of powdered sugar over the pastry’s golden surface. The dessert looks so perfect sitting there in its display case, heated warm under the lights. Eren can practically taste the sweetness of the strawberries in his mouth, the flaky and soft crust on the edges of the pastry. 

A hand reaches into the case and snatches up the last two strawberry twists. They're placed into a white box and handed over to a customer. Eren wants to burst out in tears. 

The man at the counter has on a black trench coat, rain soaked from being outside, and dress shoes that track water around as he walks to the napkin station. The box of Eren’s dear strawberry twists wobbles on the man’s hand as he tries to balance a stack of napkins and his drink. Eren darts out of his seat without thinking about it, catching the white pastry box before its contents can spill out. Above him, the man stifles a gasp. 

The door to the coffee shop slams shut behind the trench coat wearing man, who Eren can see practically running from the store. He catches sight of inky black hair, silver eyes, and before Mikasa can protest, Eren is chasing after Levi. 

 

People must think he’s crazy, shoving past them like this. The rain killed any volume in his hair, and the strands plaster themselves against his face. He hadn’t even had time to open his umbrella, didn’t even think of it until now. Levi turns another corner, still swallowing gulps of air. His lungs burn and his heart scolds him with every beat, but Levi pushes on. 

He passes a boutique, a grocery store, an italian restaurant, before coming to a halt on some random street corner. The shop in front of him displays a large red sign, “Pet Accessories”. Straight to the point, one of Levi’s favorite things about this store.  _ Oh, I was supposed to get a new collar for Lincoln weeks ago _ . He was set on buying one the day after he returned home from the business trip. Why had he forgotten? 

“Lee.” A hand grabs his arm and forces him to turn around to where a very flushed Eren is standing. The taller man shoves a hand through his soaked brown hair and pants, green eyes trapping Levi in place. “Why did you run?”  _ God, he’s beautiful _ . Levi has never thought any man to be beautiful. Sure, Erwin’s hot, and a lot of Levi’s one night stands are sexy, but no one was ever  _ beautiful _ . Not like Eren is. 

“I didn’t run.” Those gorgeous green eyes narrow and Eren’s expression turns dangerous. 

“Levi…”

“I fast walked.”  _ What the fuck is wrong with you _ . “I, uh, forgot I had to do something.” Eren is silent for a long time. He lifts his gaze off Levi to glance around at their surrounding, a smile easing onto his lips. Levi stares at him through the rain, suddenly wanting more than ever to hold Eren’s hand. 

“This is where I spilled coffee all over you.” The words sound so nostalgic to him, like it was an event that took place years ago. “I’m sorry, by the way.”

“I’m sorry, too.” His heart beats wildly when their hands touch, fingers interwinding like strings of fate. “I wanted to be absolutely sure before I talked to you.” Levi can feel Eren’s hand twitch, like he’s about to pull away. He steps closer, rising to his toes to brush his lips against Eren’s. “I wanted to be sure that you’re the person I want. Every night, you plagued my dreams and everyday, you were all I could think about.” 

Eren tilts his head, leaning forward, but Levi has more to say. 

“I want you, Eren. I want you so fucking much.” 

The idea of kissing in the rain never appealed to Levi. It looked entirely too messy to be something he is willing to do, but standing there, wrapped in Eren’s arms, it’s the only place Levi wants to be. The idea of kissing in the rain sounds horrible, but the idea of kissing Eren trumps even a storm. Eren tastes like hot chocolate and marshmallows, and while Levi never really liked either of the two, he doesn’t mind when Eren deepens the kiss, pushing Levi up against the nearest wall and tilting up his chin. He makes Levi work for it, makes him reach up for Eren’s hot tongue. He doesn’t care that people are glaring at them, the streets are practically empty anyway. He doesn’t give a fuck that his clothes are ruined, or that his shoes feel more like mini pools by now. Sandwiched between the concrete wall and a very eager Eren makes it hard for Levi to move. He grabs at Eren’s shirt, tugging at any piece of clothing he can get his hands on to bring the taller man closer. When that’s not enough, Levi pulls at Eren’s hair. 

“ _ Fuck _ , Levi.”

“Yeah, let’s do that. Right now.” He pulls at his tie, fingers working hard to undo the knot. They still around the silky fabric when Eren grabs his wrists. 

“I can’t fuck you if we get arrested for public indecency, Levi,” Eren laughs. He bends down to suck another hickey into Levi’s skin before pulling away with a groan. 

“My house. Now.” 

 

Mikasa has called him a total of ten times, not that Eren gives a shit right now. He doesn’t even know what happened to the box of pastries he was holding. He doesn’t even know where his pants are, honestly. They were on when he entered Levi’s ridiculously big house. 

Levi climbs on top of him, already naked of everything but his dress shirt, which looks so sexy that Eren thinks about having him keep it on. There’s a dozen sounds in the house, the humming of the heater, the rain hitting the windows, Lincoln snoring in the living room, but all Eren can focus on is Levi’s ragged breathing. 

The bed is soft, and the sheets smell like they’ve been freshly washed. Eren smiles at how typically Levi the entire house is. Levi’s skin is smooth under Eren’s calloused fingers as he traces patterns into the man’s inner thigh. The touch is so light and gentle that Levi squirms, ticklish under Eren’s ministrations. 

His cock aches, wanting to be touched and dripping with precum, but all Eren seems to be focused on is the rest of his body. His hands trail from Levi’s cheeks to his chest. The buttons of Levi’s wet dress shirt are undone one at a time and at a pace that has Levi whining with impatience. The buttons are undone, but Eren doesn’t let Levi take the soaking garment off. He slips it down past Levi’s bare shoulders instead, grinning at the wanton sight in front of him. 

“Look at you, Lee. So fucking perfect.” At this point, Levi wouldn’t mind begging Eren to fuck him, but something there’s something sinfully delicious about the way Eren stares at him, eyes sweeping up and down his body, that keeps Levi still. 

There’s a cruel side to Eren, and Levi had yet to see it until now. Be stutters out a gasp and sinks into Eren’s touch, moaning and mumbling incoherently into Eren’s neck. Tan fingers press against Levi’s hole, lubed up just enough so he can slide it easily in and out of the whimpering Levi. Eren’s other fingers are playing with Levi’s cock, dragging the hem of his wet shirt against the head. The cold, rough fabric sends a shock into Levi’s system, turns him into a lustful mess in Eren’s lap. 

“Stop fucking teasing me,” he calls out. Eren finds delight in the way Levi’s lips hover right above his, the way Levi presses himself against Eren, grinding his hips and growling when Eren pulls away. 

“Levi, on your knees.” This side of Eren surprises him, but he can hardly complain when the command has his dick twitching with want. The carpet is soft, and Levi kneels on it eagerly. Eren doesn’t even have to ask. Levi’s tongue is warm, and the inside of his mouth feels so good on Eren’s cock. His tongue laps at the head, dipping into the slit. He grins at the sight of precum, smirking up at Eren like a cheshire cat. 

Levi looks so good kneeling between Eren’s legs, worshipping Eren’s cock with his tongue. He takes the entire thing into his mouth, throat working hard to fit all of Eren, who hisses in appraisal. Silver eyes look up at him seeking approval, and all Eren can do is grab a fistful of Levi’s hair and pull. Levi willingly lets Eren tug his mouth away. 

“Come back on the bed, Levi.” 

Erwin likes pet names, and while Levi knows it’s wrong to think about another man at a time like this, he can’t help but notice how different Eren is from his former lover. Erwin liked to call Levi “pet”, or “baby”, but with the way Eren says it, Levi thinks he much prefers being called by his name. 

Eren slips the condom on with a grin while Levi fakes being annoyed on the bed. He pushes himself up into a sitting position, eying the way Eren strokes his dick. Once the condom is on, the brunette shoves Levi back down on the bed. He draps Levi’s legs over his shoulders, pausing to dips his head and bite into Levi’s thigh. 

“What are you, a vampire?” the other man grumbles, but he secretly loves it, wants Eren to mark him up for the entire world to see. 

Slick covered fingers press up against Levi’s hole, and all traces of playfulness flees his features. He stutters out a curse when Eren pumps two fingers in and out. Eren kisses him, hard, and Levi can barely focus on the overwhelming feelings of Eren’s fingers fucking his ass and Eren’s tongue roaming his mouth. Blindly, Levi reaches for Eren’s cock. He wraps his fingers around it while Eren moans into their kiss. 

“I think I’m falling in love with you, Levi.” 

The entire fucking world seems to stop, waiting on its axis for Levi to breath. Eren is already moving, trailing kisses down Levi’s chest to the tip of his cock. 

“Should I have not said that?”

Hurt laced in the emeralds of Eren’s eyes in not something Levi wants to see again, but he replays the words over and over in his head, looking for anything that sends his stomach flipping in an unpleasant way. When he can find nothing but butterflies, Levi smiles and holds out his arms for Eren. The other man leans into him, scoping Levi up into a hug that could have lasted a lifetime and Levi wouldn’t want to pull apart. 

“I need your cock in me, Eren” Levi sighs into Eren’s ear. The man shivers and breaks their embrace. For the first time that night, he looks absolutely wrecked between Levi’s legs. 

“I love it when you say my name.”  _ I guess we have that in common, cause I love it when you say mine.  _

Those fingers previously working Levi into a mess no leaves him empty, but before he can protest, Eren eases his cock into Levi, and the man arches his back with a moan. 

“Okay, Lee?” A soft hum is all Eren gets in the form of a response. “Levi, tell me.”

“I’m fine, just fucking  _ move _ .” Gently, Eren slides in deeper, going slow so Levi can get used to his girth. “You’re so fucking big,” the smaller man groans out. His eyes are closed but his lips are parted and wet with saliva. Eren wants to kiss him, wants to keep kissing him for as long as Levi will let him. 

He thinks back to his dream this morning, back to how good Levi looked riding his cock. Eren’s imagination is nothing compared to how  _ fuckable _ Levi looks now, legs spread wide for him and gray eyes silently begging him to be fucked faster, harder. 

“What do you want, Lee?” 

It’s been weeks, and Eren doesn’t know when “I think I’m falling in love with you” will turn into “I love you,” but he knows it’s only a matter of time. He can worry about Levi’s reaction to those three words later. Right now, he focuses on giving Levi everything the man is pleading for, wanton and whimpering and unable to keep his hands or eyes off of Eren.   

_ I want you. Just you, Eren. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends! I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and the smut)!


	10. Your New Boyfriend is Always Late

Eren doesn’t like waking up early. He doesn’t like being yanked from his dreams, especially when they’re of Levi, but this morning is different. Reality matches his dreams now, so Eren doesn’t mind it when sunlight peeks through his windows and baths his bed in a soft golden glow. Blankets have managed to tangle themselves around Eren’s body while he slept, and a stretch is desperately needed right now. Along with the blankets are Levi’s limps, wrapped tightly around Eren while his head snuggles against Eren’s bare chest. It’s an adorable sight that Eren doesn’t dare disturb.

Levi’s hair smells like strawberry shampoo and his skin is the color of honey under the sunlight filtering through Eren’s window. His breath, soft and steady, is comforting to Eren, who threads his fingers through Levi’s hair and pets the black strands lazily. The house is quiet except for the humming of the heater and various noises outside. Eren can hear Lincoln walking around outside Levi’s room.

While on the topic of Levi’s room, the entire thing feels like Levi molded and shaped into a design aspect. The walls are gray, and most of the furniture is either white or black. Everything is pristine, organized. Eren honestly didn’t expect anything else for his lover.

_ His lover _ . It’s such a nice thing to say, even in the quiet of his mind. It’s a nice thing to think. He wants to say those words out loud, let Levi know exactly what he is to Eren now.  _ My lover _ . He makes a mental note to casually slip it in during breakfast.

There aren’t a lot of pictures in Levi’s house. Eren noticed last night between kisses. There aren’t many decorations at all. Most of the walls are bare, but there’s still warmness in the house that Eren can’t place. It feels so much like a home despite the lack of things that would usually give a house personality.

“Tickles.” Levi's voice is low, raspy and whining, and it brings a smile to Eren face.

“Sorry,” he replies, but his fingers don't stop their slow petting of Levi's hair, trailing down to the base of Levi’s neck.

“Stop it, brat.”

“I'm only a few years younger than you, you know.” Both of them know that fact isn't going to deter Levi from calling Eren by the nickname. A gray eye glares up at him, making Eren laugh. The sound is so different from the previous quiet of the room. Levi groans and nuzzles his face into Eren's neck.

“We should be at work,” Levi mumbles, sleep coloring the tone of his words. Eren mumbles a determined “no” immediately.

It’s easy to pretend to be the responsible one and remind Eren of work and daily routine, but honestly, Levi hasn’t been to work in days. He tried to go the day after Erwin screwed everything up between them, but seeing even a hint of neatly combed blond hair made Levi feel sick to his stomach. Work is easier at home, lonelier, but easier. In the quiet of his house, Levi can work with Lincoln lying at his feet and the comforting knowledge that he can’t possibly run into Erwin here.

It would have helped a bit if Erwin had called, had tried to stop by and apologize. Maybe then, Levi wouldn’t feel so anxious all the time. He can’t erase Erwin from his past, or from his future, but at least he can try to keep the blond man at a distance.

“Come on, brat.”

Eren protests with a low grumble when Levi pulls away. The sheets fall off of Levi’s body and he unabashedly gets up from the bed to stroll over to Eren’s bathroom. He can feel Eren’s eyes on him, watching like Levi’s a prized jewel parading around in front of him. His body feels like it’s on fire, ignited by Eren’s heated stare. The bathroom tiles are cool compared to the carpet in Levi’s bedroom, and he winces when his foot presses against the dark gray hexagons. The bed sheets ruffle as Eren pushes himself up; Levi wills himself not to look. He knows Eren has a clear view into the bathroom, a clear view of Levi as he turns on the shower. Warm water pours from the showerhead, and Levi holds out a hand to test the temperature. He keeps his eyes on the wall, on the water pooling in his hand. Once the temperature is hot enough, Levi makes a show of stretching his arms high over his head and sighing in contentment before slowly stepping in. Water streams down his body, trailing down over his muscles as Eren’s eyes does the same. Levi runs a hand through his hair, tipping his head back and letting the water rain over his face.  _ Any second now _ .

“Lee? Can I join you?” Levi smirks and holds the shower door open for Eren.

Levi prepares two omelets while Eren paces back and forth outside on the deck, rolling his eyes occasionally at the phone in his hand. He’s only wearing a pair of Levi’s sweatpants, which falls above his ankles and looks a bit comical. Eren looks comfortable, though, shoving his hand into the pocket of the maroon-colored pants and leaning his elbows on the deck’s railing. A few times, Levi catches him staring through the glass sliding door. During those times, Eren smiles warmly, waves, until Levi’s smiling, too.

During those times, Levi remembers Eren’s words from last night. They come running up his spin and seeping into his very core. They rock him and make the entire room, no, the entire  _ world _ spin. The omelets sizzle on the stove while Levi watches Eren. He likes this, likes it so much. Eren is warm and funny and persistent. He’s stubborn and fiery and determined. At night, he hugs Levi too tightly and mumbles random shit into the air. He eats like a starving wolf pup and doesn’t bother drying off his wet hair after he showers so water trails behind him and Levi has to watch his damn step. Levi likes to bitch about everything, yet he’s oddly okay with the man standing just a few feet away from him, hand waving at Levi for the ninth time.

“Are you sure you can’t take the day off?” Levi asks, threading his fingers through Eren’s. His hands feel small in Eren’s, small and safe. They’re sitting in Levi’s car outside of the clinic, and Levi can already see a tiny dog prancing around inside.

“I’m sorry.” Eren’s lips press against Levi’s cheek, making him blush a deep red. The color lights up his pale face and Eren cracks a smile at the sight. “You’re so cute.”

“Fuck off.” Eren laughs at that, and Levi can’t help but crack a smile as well. There’s something about watching Eren be happy that makes Levi happy too. He reaches over, pulling Eren by the collar of his shirt. Whenever they kiss, Levi feels like he’s playing with lightning, every nerve is on fire and there isn’t a single part of him not craving for more. Touching lightning is addicting. Kissing Eren feels like a forever activity, something Levi never wants to give up. Eren makes a mess of him, and Levi gladly lets himself turn to nothingness in Eren’s arms. He feels so light he doesn’t feel real at all. He’s floating off, drifting into something intoxicating and ethereal, but every touch, every nerve inside him aching for Eren’s touch keeps him grounded. Levi lets himself be made a mess of, because he knows Eren can put him together again.

“Yeah. Definitely falling for you. _Hard_ ,” Eren mumbles when he pulls away, breath shaky and fingers tangled in Levi’s hair. Levi doesn’t respond, doesn’t know how to, so he leans forward again and presses a quick kiss on Eren’s forehead. When he settles back in his seat, Eren’s grinning like a kid on Christmas morning. Levi stares at him, hard, because he’s nothing like Erwin and Levi had thought he couldn’t do better than Erwin.

“I’ll-uh...I’ll come by at eight. To pick you up.” His voice is all wrong, too high, too flustered. God, it’s like high school again. Levi grimaces.

“Don’t forget about me,” Eren replies. He ruffles Levi’s hair, earning a scowl from the man, then slips out of the car.

“Lincoln, tell your dad he needs to stop being a mopey fuck and come to the office.”

Levi rolls his eyes from the other room. Hanji was lounging around his living room when he came back from dropping Eren at the clinic. She had her feet up on his coffee table and everything; he has no idea why he decided to let her live after witnessing that.

“Stop annoying my dog, shitty glasses.” He considers throwing one of Lincoln’s chew toys at her. The various dog toys are the only things Levi allows to be scattered around his house. It’s his fault anyway for buying Lincoln so many damn bones and squeaky toys. Levi nudges a little Santa Claus away with his feet. The poor thing has teeth marks all over its head.

“Levi, without you I have no one to talk to during lunch break. Yesterday, I had to talk to Auruo! He bit his tongue like ten times in one sentence!” She stomps over to him but pauses just at the edge of his pristine white carpet.

It’s as if he  _ wants _ her to soil it. He’s practically begging her to. Who the hell buys a  _ white  _ carpet? Hanji pulls off her boots before stepping into Levi’s living room. He might have let her off the hook with the whole coffee table thing, but there’s no way he’ll let her live if she tracks dirt all over his carpet.

Hanji resents it when Levi sulks. No one is happy around him; no one  _ can _ be when he snaps at every little thing and spends his minutes glaring daggers at Erwin. Every time they fought, Hanji had to drag Levi back. Little by little, she put him together again.

This time is different. She sees it; the usual gloom in his eyes isn’t there. He’s frowning but he’s always frowning, so that doesn’t mean much. He’s actually working at a normal pace, which is good. Levi always throws himself into work right after a fight with Erwin. It used to scare the hell out of Hanji in the beginning. He wasn’t Levi anymore, not after he let Erwin break him down. But this time is different. Which is weird because it’s the biggest fight they’ve ever had.

He seems okay, though. He’s sleeping regularly. His fridge is stocked. Even the underlying twitches, the signs that Hanji usually look for, aren’t there. Of course, he still winces when he hears Erwin’s name, but that’s just about it.

“You want me to come back so you can annoy me?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at her. She drops down onto his couch and fake-sobs into his shoulder.

“I’m so lonely there without you!”

Levi sees Lincoln tilting his head back and forth at the sounds Hanji’s making, and he smiles despite himself.

“Fine. Tomorrow.” She shoots to her feet, hands clapping together as her trademark manic grin comes back to her face.

“Perfect! I’ll clean out my things by then.” His phone is ringing, so Levi gets up to search for it.

“What do you mean-” Eren’s name flashes at the top of the screen. “Hanji what do mean you’ll clean out your things?”

“Don’t worry about it, shorty. Answer your phone.” He narrows his eyes at her as she flees to his kitchen.

“Hello?”

“Hey. I miss you.” He should get used to hearing Eren’s voice through the phone by now, but Levi can’t control the way his heart aches. It’s only twelve in the afternoon. “Levi?”

“Yeah. Sorry.” He’s pacing back and forth, not knowing what to do with himself. “I miss you, too.”

“Yeah? Wanna see me again?” Eren sounds excited, and Levi finds himself nodding like an idiot.

“Yes. Yeah. Now?”  _ Way to play it cool, Ackerman _ .

“Is that okay? I need a quick favor first but then we can go get lunch, okay?” Whatever Eren wants, Levi’s sure he can do it. He already has his keys in his hands.

“Hanji, don’t fuck up my house while I’m gone!” The door slams behind him before Hanji can respond, but Levi sees her waving at him from the window. “What do you need, Eren?”

“Can you run to my apartment and grab the blue folder on my kitchen table? I needed it today and I completely forgot.” Levi pulls the car out of the driveway, setting the phone on the center console.

“Alright, give me ten minutes.”

“Thanks, Lee. I l-uh, I appreciate it.” It’s too soon to use that word, but Levi desperate wants to hear it, wants to  _ Eren _ say it. A much bigger part of Levi, though, wants Eren to  _ mean _ it when he says it, so he’ll wait as long as that takes.

Eren’s apartment is locked, and Levi didn’t even think of that until he exited the elevator. Thankfully, it’s a shitty lock that Levi can take care of with his eyes shut (a product of having a shady uncle that likes to overshare information). He digs around in his pockets until he comes across a paper clip then kneels down in front of Eren’s door. It’s going to be difficult to explain to passersby that he’s not breaking into Eren’s apartment, so Levi works fast.

He twists the paper clip until it’s in the shape he wants, then inserts it into the lock. The door pops open a few seconds later and Levi slips in. Eren’s kitchen table is a mess. There are papers and envelopes covering the entire surface, and Levi has to dig under the mess to find the blue folder. He pushes a pile of envelopes aside, and he swears he isn’t snooping, isn’t the type to, but his eyes dance across several unpaid bills. Levi gathers up the papers, scanning them all quickly with furrowed brows.

Eren’s in a lot of debt. He’s on the edge of bankruptcy and like hell is Levi just going to let that slide. He folds up the bills and shoves them into his pocket before grabbing the blue folder and heading out.

Levi said ten minutes, but it has been over half an hour. Eren juggles his phone back and forth, impatiently staring out the window of the clinic. Sasha already said he looks like a dog waiting for his owner, which Eren rolled his eyes at. Still, if he had a tail, it would wag desperately every time someone that resembles Levi walks pass.

“Your new boyfriend is always late.” Mikasa comes to stand next to Eren. Her gloves are off and she’s rubbing sanitizer all over her hands.

“Maybe I should get him a watch for Christmas,” Eren jokes.  _ Like I could even afford a watch like the ones Levi has _ . Eren’s seen them, spinning around on display in a drawer in Levi’s walk in closet. All those watches together probably equals Eren’s rent for three years.

“You’re not in position to get any of us Christmas presents this year,” Mikasa says under her breath. Eren heard her anyway.

“Yeah, you’re probably right about that.”

Levi comes strolling through the doors then, Eren’s folder tucked under his arm. The black strands of hair usually hanging in front of his face have been pushed back and Levi’s black trench coat is covered in tiny raindrops. He looks like he’d just walked out of Eren’s dreams.

“Sorry, I had to take care of something,” Levi says after nodding hello at them. Their hands brush when Eren takes the folder Levi holds out and Eren swear there were sparks.

He’d probably die if Levi ever sees how totally out of Eren’s league he is, how Eren, who can’t even afford to buy his boyfriend a fucking watch, would never belong in the same world as Tesla-driving Levi. He glances at Levi’s wrist, frowning at the shiny black watch sitting there. Money was never a number one priority to Eren, and part of him feels guilty that he thinks Levi would care so much about how much Eren has in the back (hint: it’s not much), but Levi is way out of his league. Levi probably never had to deal with debts, with a struggling business, with a strict budget. Eren has seen the inside of Levi’s fridge, and he’s seen the look on Levi’s face when he saw the inside of Eren’s.

_ Oh shit, did he see the bills on my table? _

Levi doesn’t look like there’s anything wrong. He smiles and introduces himself to a wary Mikasa, who shakes his hand while staring at Eren with a raised brow. They like each other, Eren thinks. They’ll get along.

“So, lunch?” Eren asks, tugging on Levi’s arm. The shorter man nods, pulling Eren into a heated kiss once they’re out the door.  _ Yeah, way out of my league _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whaaaattt a chapter posted at a time other than in the middle of the fucking night??? This was supposed to be up last week but the election fucked me up...sorry. Please continue to leave comments and kudos; I'd really appreciate it!


	11. Wings

He’s some sort of daydream, lying with his dark hair a halo around his head on Eren’s pale blue sheets. They make his eyes stand out, the sheets. Makes those stormy greys resemble pools of infinite silver. He looks like he’s floating among the waves, lips parted and head thrown back in undiluted pleasure. There’s nothing innocent about it. Not the way his teeth pull at his bottom lip, daring Eren to move just a little faster. Not the way his fingernails dig into Eren’s back, drawing crescents into the skin. The words tumbling out of his mouth are nowhere  _ near _ innocent, would make a prostitute blush. His moans are music to Eren’s ears, and they unravel Eren’s very being. He’s lost in Levi, lost in the way Levi looks, the way Levi smells, the way Levi sounds. He wants to press them together until they’re no longer Eren and Levi but ErenandLevi. But for now, he’ll settle for resting his head in the nook of Levi’s neck and staying, covering the smaller man’s body with his own, even though he’s no longer inside Levi. Their breathing seems to synchronize, their heartbeats as well. Eren never believed in soulmates but he sure believes in true love. Maybe Levi isn’t made for him; people aren’t made for each other. Eren doesn’t want someone carved to be his perfect match. He wants Levi. Levi with his always-frowning expression and gloomy demeanor. Levi with his giant house and pristine suits and penchant for foul language.

“You’re fucking heavy, Jaeger.”  _ There it is _ . Eren knew he would complain soon enough. He rolls off of Levi and lies with his arms spread out on the bed, waiting. They’ve developed a ritual. Eren lies with his arms spread wide like a bird ready to take flight and Levi curls up next to him, his hand palm down in the middle of Eren’s chest. They stay like that, basking in their afterglow and letting silence lure them to sleep.

Except Eren doesn’t sleep, hasn’t been sleeping for days now.

Once he makes sure that Levi’s deep asleep, he gently pulls himself away. He tiptoes to the kitchen, cursing his tiny apartment and its countless creaky floorboards. When they stay at Levi’s house, Eren can easily sneak to Levi’s living room without having to worry about waking up his lover by stepping on the wrong board.

The chair dares to scrape against the ground as Eren pulls it out. He winces, glancing back down the hallway to the bedroom. When he sees that Levi’s not standing there, eyebrow raised in part annoyance and part worry, he sighs. The entire kitchen table is a mess. Eren’s papers and bills completely cover the table’s wooden surface to the point where no bit of the brown oak can be seen. He shoves his hand into the pile and randomly pulls out another envelope. The words urgent are written on the front in big, bold, red letters. He rolls his eyes at it. Under the pile is a list of all the bills he’s paid off and all the ones he still has yet to deal with. He drags the list out and begins crossing off names.

Pretty much everything he had planned to paid off this month has a red line through it, which Eren deems good progress. There’s only a few fairly large bills that he needs to take care of, and if he can pull together enough, maybe hold off on the groceries and unnecessary spending, those bills can be paid off too. He digs through the pile, trying to look for ones he still needs.

They aren’t there. Eren frowns, looking through his list for this month to see if any other are missing as well. It’s not a lot, but the bills that he usually just throws on the table aren’t there anymore. He ducks his head, checking to see if anything spilled onto the floor. Maybe he knocked them off the table and they slid under the fridge? Did he move them? Eren stand abruptly, causing a chair to fall over. He curses silently, frowning as he stares down the hallway.

Surely, Levi steps into the light, rubbing one eye with his hand. He’s wearing Eren’s t-shirt, and his hair sticks in all sorts of directions.

“Sorry, Levi,” Eren says, not being able to help the way his eyes trail up and down Levi’s body. Is your lover wearing your clothes a kink, because Eren certainly thinks it’s his kink? He temporarily forgets about the missing bills, gliding over to pull Levi in his arms. The shorter man lets himself fall against Eren’s chest, sighing in sleepy contentment.

“Why are you up so late?” he asks, pausing in the middle to yawn.

“I’m taking care of the bills.” Eren presses a kiss to Levi’s head, wanting to grow wings and fly them both to a far distant land where he can give responsibilities the middle finger and just spend time with Levi.

“They’ll be there tomorrow,” Levi mumbles. Eren can tell he’s falling asleep right here; his arms wrapped loosely around Eren’s waist.

“Yeah. Let me just get a glass of water.” Reluctantly, he untangles them.

“Okay,” Levi replies, stretching. His arms reach to the ceiling like branches struggling to grow and Eren watches, hoping maybe Levi will be the one to grow wings and take them away. There aren’t any feathers when Levi drops his arms, now impatiently waiting for Eren in the middle of the hallway. He doesn’t have any wings, but the way he stands under the hanging hallway light, there’s a halo over his head anyway.

Eren smiles, opening his mouth to comment on the circle of light enchanting Levi’s messy black hair, but the other man cuts him off.

“I took care of some of them, by the way. I forgot to tell you.” Levi yawns again, this time raising his arm to run a hand through his hair, fucking up the halo. “Hurry back to bed, Eren.” He turns and walks away.

Eren, who watches him with his mouth hanging open and his brows slowly furrowing, forsakes his glass of water and walks up to the bedroom. He’s angry. He’s annoyed that he’s angry, but he can’t help that he is. He’s already dealing with Mikasa wanting to baby him; he definitely does not need his boyfriend doing it as well.

“Excuse me, Levi?” Eren says between gritted teeth. He leans against the doorframe, glaring at Levi as the other man sits in bed, head tilted to the side in confusion. He looks so innocent, adorable, practically Eren’s sweet and beautiful boyfriend, but he went behind Eren’s back.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, his voice rough. He’s tired; the evident is clear on his face. Things must be rough at work. Eren’s hit with guilt and his anger subsides. Levi isn’t Mikasa. Levi didn’t know. He probably thought he was doing something nice.

“We’ll talk about it in the morning.” Levi doesn’t give up though, continuing to ask Eren if he’s sure even as the man is sliding into bed and pulling Levi close to him. Levi doesn’t quit asking Eren if everything’s alright until Eren sneaks his fingers up Levi’s shirt and tickles the man into submission.

He’s laughing, so purely happy that it chases away any anger Eren has left. He slows his fingers for a moment to stare at Levi. Sure, he should have told Eren what he did, should have asked if it’s okay first, but Eren needs to hear his side of the story before he starts arguing with Levi.

“You’re so fucking weird sometimes,” Levi whispers, words soft and heavy with emotion. It’s Levi’s version of “I think I love you”, so Eren presses their foreheads together and grins.

“Go to sleep, Lee.”

 

Morning comes and Eren wakes up to an empty bed, an empty apartment. He jumps to his feet, scanning the room for a note Levi would leave behind if he left early for work. There isn’t one. He walks to the kitchen, frowning when he sees Levi’s jacket still hanging on the coatrack and his briefcase still sitting by the coffee table in the living room. Eren pokes his head outside his apartment door, hoping to see Levi pacing the hallways. Sure enough, there he is, his phone pressed to his ear. He’s whispering in harsh tones, his back to Eren.

“Levi? Everything okay?” He turns around, eyes set in a murderous glare. Eren stares at him, eyes wide even though he knows the look isn’t directed at him.

“I’m fine. It’s work.” Levi’s eyes soften and he fakes a smile. Eren nods in return but Levi has already turned back around.

Levi rarely talks about work with Eren, which doesn’t really bother him much. Levi’s a lawyer for some fortune 500 company, and the job must be pretty tough considering the way he looks when he comes home.

“Good morning, Eren,” Levi says when he comes through the door. He throws his phone onto the table, and it lands with a soft thud on Eren’s pile of papers.  _ Oh.  _ He almost forgot.

“You paid off some of my bills,” Eren says in a rush. Levi’s staring at him, expression blank.  _ The phone call must have really gotten to him. _ “I’m not mad at you, just don’t do it again without talking to me first. I don’t want you to start paying off my debts and treating me like I can’t take care of myself. It drives me crazy.”

“I’m sorry.” Eren didn’t expect him to apologize so quickly, but he crosses the room in the blink of an eye and presses a kiss on Eren’s lips. “I shouldn’t have done that. I wanted to help. I’m sorry I overstepped my boundaries.” Eren nods, but his brows remain furrowed at the way Levi’s acting. When Levi pulls away, Eren can see how tired he look, like he hasn’t slept in weeks, which can’t be right since Eren’s been sleeping with him every day since they’ve started dating.

“Are you okay?” he asks, trailing after Levi into the bathroom.

“Yeah, fine. Are we okay? I won’t do something like that again.” Eren had a whole speech planned out. He was going to tell Levi exactly why he doesn’t like it that Levi paid his bills without telling him, but Levi doesn’t look like he’s in the mood for a speech. Plus, their morning isn’t how it usually is. Levi isn’t usually this quick to the point. He doesn’t like small talk, but his tone is usually softer, less curt. Maybe Eren’s just imagining it, so he steps back and gives Levi his space.

 

“Mr. Ackerman, I know you’re preoccupied with trivial matters at the moment, but please try to do actual work. I am paying you for a reason.” Levi wants to snap his pen in half, or maybe fling it into Erwin’s throat so he chokes on it. The entire meeting has been hell. Not only is discussing the company’s budget extremely boring, Erwin has somehow managed to make it into literal hell. He’s Satan, sitting in his executive chair and glaring at all of them from under his unruly eyebrows. He picked on Levi the entire meeting, complaining if Levi so much as  _ sits _ the wrong way.

“This isn’t work, Mr. Smith,” Levi replies. He can see Hanji face palm in the corner of his eye. “This is you wasting our time.”

“I’m making sure my employees know what is expected of them,” Erwin counters, rising to his feet. He has his hands planted on the table. An employee next to him cowers away. “Perhaps you would like me to go over what I  _ expect _ from you? We’ll starts with  _ manners _ .”

“My manners are impeccable, CEO Asshole. Can I get back to work now?” Levi rise as well, managing to look just as threatening as Erwin despite being so much shorter.

“That’s it! Clear the room. Mr. Ackerman and I need to talk.” Levi rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t protest.

“Are you going to punish me cause I acted up, now?” Levi asks.

“I’m your  _ boss _ , Levi.” Erwin sounds just as tired as the black haired man standing across from him. “I’m your boss and I need you to quit this hating me thing you have going on.”

“I have a very good reason to hate you,” Levi replies. Erwin stares at him with a hurt that cuts Levi deep, even if he refuses to admit it.

“I’m sorry. I apologized this morning and I apologized every time I fucking see you. I’m sorry. Can we be friends again?” It’s almost laughable. Erwin must be drunk, or high, to even suggest the notion of them being friends.

“We were never friends.” There it is again, the pain in Erwin’s sky blue eyes. It looks so genuine despite all of Levi trying to convince himself everything about Erwin is fake. Shiny and beautiful, but fake, engineered for the sole purpose of getting people to fall head over heels for him.

“Don’t say that. We were friends. We were  _ best  _ friends.” Erwin reaches out, maybe to take Levi’s hand like he usually does when they’re having this kind of fight. There’s the screaming, angry, throwing shit around and watching broken pieces dancing on the floor kind of fight between Erwin and Levi, then there’s the quite, soft and pleading, both of them desperate kind of fight that makes Levi wish he can join those broken pieces on the floor because he doesn’t feel quite whole himself. Erwin’s fingers brush against Levi’s and they hesitate, no longer in familiar territory.

“I don’t know what you want from me,” Levi says, feeling just as broken as the man in front of him. No, maybe not. Levi has Eren. Levi has Eren and Hanji. Erwin has no one.

“I miss you.”

“You don’t. You don’t miss me and you don’t love me. I can’t just hover in space with you, Erwin. I can’t live in a world you manufactured for me either. It has to be real. If you say you love me, you have to mean it.” That’s what hurts the most, realizing that Erwin never meant those words, that they were just ways of getting Levi to stay.

“I do love you. I love you so much.” His eyes are pleading as his mouth struggles to make Levi understand. “I don’t think I can love you in the way you want me to, in the romantic kind of way that you’re looking for, but I do  _ love  _ you. You’re my best friend.”

“I’m your charity case.” Levi’s voice isn’t strong anymore, isn’t clear and steady.

“Maybe that’s how you started off. I needed someone to take care of, but then you became my entire world. I love you, and he’s… That guy you’ve been seeing… You’re completely out of his league, don’t you agree?” Levi frowns, glares hard at Erwin, at his silky blue tie and creaseless suit, at his neatly combed blond hair, at his model face. “Come on, Levi. You only met him because your uncle screwed up, and you’re only with him because  _ I _ screwed up. Let me fix it. Let me fix us.”

“Personally, the only thing I think needs fixing is you, you manipulative asshole.” Levi startles, nearly jumps out of his skin at the voice. He spins on his heels to face the door.

Eren is leaning against the frame, Levi’s cellphone in hand. He must have forgotten it on the kitchen table. Eren doesn’t spare Levi a glance, just rolls his eyes and turns to go, leaving the other two men staring after him with wide eyes.  

 

“I don't even know what to think, Lee,” Eren says when Levi trails after him down to the parking lot. The blue Nissan is sitting there waiting, but Eren leans against its passenger door instead of getting it, which is a good sign because it means he wants to talk.

“I can explain,” Levi says, even though there really isn't much to explain. In fact, he feels pretty pissed off right now. It feels like Eren's assuming the worst of him, and Levi hurts at the thought.

“Why didn't you tell me he's your boss?” Eren asks, looking like he's genuinely confused, but Levi feels like he's being mocked. “Also, why didn't you tell me that he's the reason you come home from work grumpy every day? We're supposed to be partners. That means you  _ share _ things, Levi.” As he talks, Levi can hear his voice getting louder, more upset. “You tell me things. Like the fact that your ex is also your boss, and that he's been trying to get in your pants every day, and you think you're out of my league, and I can't take care of myself so you have to pay off thousands of dollars in debt for me? Am I your charity case now?” He snarls at Levi, expression furious.

“I was trying to help…” It surprises Levi, how small his voice is now. When he picked up those bills, he was only thinking what he should do, what other people would do. Levi doesn't have many examples of how others would react in that kind of situation. The only example he has is Erwin, and Erwin would have paid off those debts. Erwin would have taken care of everything. “I apologized, didn't I?”

“Saying you're sorry doesn't make everything okay again! I don’t want to do this with you if I can't trust you.” Eren rakes his fingers through his hair, and Levi wonders how everything can change so fast. They were in love last night…

“Okay. Fine.” He shrugs, because he's tired of fighting and he's tired of things ending. Levi turns and starts walking away.

“Where are you going?”

“Back to work.” He pauses to give Eren a confused look only it comes outs as less “what do you think I'm doing?” and more “I don't want to fight with anyone anymore.”

“We're in the middle of talking.”

“You don't want to do this anymore and I don't know how to get you to trust me, so no. We're not in the middle of talking.” He shoves his hands into his pocket to stop them from shaking, and he tries to swallow the heaviness in his throat.

“Hey!” Eren's hand tightens around Levi's arm, yanking him back until he's facing Eren again. Eren stares at him, watches the way Levi’s breath stutters. “We  _ are _ in the middle of talking. Look at me, Lee.” He waits until Levi does so, his finger tilting up Levi's chin. “Do you not want me anymore? Do you want to go back to him?” Eren regrets the question immediately, not because it hurts just saying it aloud, but because Levi looks like Eren just shoved a sword through his chest.

“I don't…” He narrows his eyes and steps away from Eren’s reach. “He’s my boss, but that’s all he is to me now. I need you to trust me when I say that because… I want you. You're not my charity case, Eren. I love you.”

Words shouldn’t mean everything, but Levi’s do. They grab at Eren, yank and push him until he’s moving at the speed of light, arms out.

It doesn't take long for Eren to close the distance between them, to pull Levi to him and kiss him like the world is ending. They melt into each other, becoming the earth and the sky with lighting between them. And that distant place, the one Eren wants to fly them to, he finds it in Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, I took way longer than I meant to with this chapter. What do you think? Are our boys really going to be okay? Remember to leave comments and kudos!


	12. Time

It must have been something Levi said. He must have unintentionally been offensive, because Eren is currently sulking on Levi’s couch, five feet away from where his boyfriend stands. Every time Levi takes a step closer, Eren moves further away. He’s a little shit, Levi thinks, frowning at the way Eren sits with his arms folded over his chest. There’s an entire couch between them, and it ticks Levi off. 

“What did I do now?” he asks. The question only prompts a glare, the first look Eren has spared him all night. It has been like this for days, and honestly, Levi has had enough. Eren is warm and loving one minute, cold and distant the next. Right now, he’s shunning Levi for something the other man can’t figure out. “Eren, you have to talk to me.” 

Eren looks up at him, scoffs, then turns away. Without warning, Levi pounces on him, settling on Eren’s lap and tipping up the other man’s chin with a finger. Levi cocks his head, watching Eren’s flushed face for a few seconds. 

“I don’t like it when you’re mad at me,” Levi says softly. He leans forward, ready to press his forehead against Eren’s. He craves it, Eren’s affection, but Eren seems determined to deprive Levi of any romantic gestures. He shoves Levi off his lap, eliciting a surprised gasp from the smaller man. Levi lands on the floor, winching before glaring up at Eren. His expression is a clear warning of the curses about to tumble out of his mouth. Eren stands and walks away before Levi can utter a single sound. 

A moment passes with Levi still on the white carpet, frowning at nothing and trying to figure out exactly why his lover is so upset with him. It has been a few weeks since Eren found out about Erwin being Levi’s boss, but that entire situation seemed to have solved itself pretty quickly. Levi gets to his feet, smooths out his clothes, and continues in the same direction as Eren. 

He finds the man out on a balcony connected to Levi’s bedroom, leaning with his arms on the railing. The wind tousles Eren’s brown locks and sends chills through Levi’s thin layer of clothing. It’s December, much too cold to be going outside in only a t-shirt and jeans. 

Invading Eren’s space like he did before seems like a bad idea, so Levi hangs back, watching his boyfriend in silence. Eren can feel Levi’s presence behind him, but he chooses to ignore it for now. 

Beyond Levi’s back porch is a large yard. Any remaining leaves on the trees sway along with the wind, some leaving their branches to fly swirling across the sky. The moon shines in a crescent above them, casting shadows on the grass. Eren used to love the stars, would come out at night just to stare at the sky. He wanted to be an astronaut, but physics and engineering were never his thing. They just never felt right, and lately, nothing has really felt right either. 

“Do you think we went about this all wrong?” Eren asks, breaking the silence between them. Behind him, Levi shifts uncomfortably. 

“Went about what?” he asks, wanting to move closer to Eren. He doesn’t, hovers back and shoves his hands into his pockets instead. 

“This.” Eren waves his hands, gesturing vaguely to the air between them. He’s finally looking at Levi now, and he looks so lost that it physically hurts. Levi tears his eyes away, offended by the uncertainty with which Eren regards him. 

“Us?” Levi clarifies. “Is there a right way to fall in love?” A textbook way, perhaps? Is that what Eren’s searching for? Such a thing doesn’t exist. 

“I don’t know.” Then after a moment, “You still love him.” He holds up a hand before Levi can protest. “I saw it that day, the emotion on your face. You won’t admit it to me, or to yourself, but you still love him. If he loves you back, in the way you want, would you consider going back to him? Even for a second, would you consider it?” 

Levi gives Eren’s question a long, dragged out, minute of thinking. Then he frowns, because the answer isn’t one either of them wants to hear. Guilt sets in, then panic, because Eren can clearly see where Levi’s train of thought has headed. 

“It’s okay. I’m not mad at you.” Eren turns back to the stars again, leaving Levi with a view of his back. “I agree with him, you know. You’re completely out of my league. You make me feel insecure, and small, and I know you don’t mean to, but you do. You’re doing what Erwin did for you, trying to take care of me.”

Levi tugs on Eren’s arm, pulls the man down so that they’re eye to eye. Eren should look surprised, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t look anything at all. 

“That was a mistake. I fucked up, but I promised I won’t do something like that again. Isn’t that enough?” Levi asks. “I love you.” 

“Just saying that isn’t enough.”

“Then what do you want me to do?” he asks, practically yells. Eren yanks away from him, leaving Levi to stand on the balcony by himself while he paces back and forth in the bedroom. 

“I don’t know!” Eren tugs at his hair, eyes closing and brows furrowing in deep thought. “I need time. I need time to think. I have to take care of this whole business with my financial problems. I need to clear this mess up-”

“Let me help you, Eren. We’re a couple, isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? We’re supposed to fucking help each other!” Levi pulls the balcony doors shut and spins on his heels to grab Eren’s wrists. The bedroom is dark, but the moonlight filtering in casts a soft glow on Eren’s face. 

“I have to do this on my own!” he says, but he doesn’t fight Levi’s hold on him. “I have to do this by myself.”

“I can’t just stand by and watch you struggle. Fuck, Eren!” 

“I’m not asking you to!”

Levi lets the words sink in. He gives Eren all the time in the world to take back what he just said. He doesn’t. 

“I’m asking you to give us time.” Time. Levi’s sick of time, of waiting and pining and feeling uncertain. He drops Eren’s wrists. 

“You want to break up?” His voice is so soft, so timid, that it makes Eren wince. He grimaces, watching the pained expression cross Levi’s face. “Eren… I promise I won’t try to help you with this. We won’t even have to discuss finances. I can change-”

“I don’t want you to change.” Eren wants to wrap him up in a hug, but he doesn’t. “I love you, Levi. Give me time to take care of my problems, okay?” 

What else can he say but “okay”? Levi steps back, physically and emotionally giving Eren all the room he needs. 

“Thank you.” Lips press against Levi’s forehead, and he wonders if this is the last time they’ll ever do this. He leans into the kiss, drowns himself in the feeling while he still can. 

 

Losing Eren isn’t like losing Erwin, and goddamn does Levi need to stop comparing the two. Watching Eren leave is like breaking off a part of himself and scattering it to the wind. 

The steam from the cup of tea that he’s cradling fogs up his glasses, makes it difficult for him to continue staring out the restaurant's window. 

Levi never really lost Erwin. He only lost the idea of Erwin that he had stubbornly held onto with the vice grip of a child too afraid to let go. Erwin was never really gone. Levi can have Erwin as a best friend again, without all the romance drama, if he asks, and he did. 

Eren, however, Levi can’t ask for. Eren left on his own, told Levi he needed time to sort things out. It had hurt so much that night, spent on the floor of his bedroom with tears streaming down his face. Levi is okay with it now, can say Eren’s name without wanting to burst into tears, but the pain is still there. It’s dull and deep, throbbing away in his heart, but Levi can manage it now. 

They did go about things in the wrong way. Levi fell in love with how different from Erwin Eren is, but that’s not how you fall in love with someone. Maybe there isn’t a textbook way of falling in love, but there are  _ wrong _ ways to go about it. Levi shouldn’t have rushed from one relationship to the other; that was a mistake. 

He sets the cup of hot tea down on the table, and bites down on his bottom lip absentmindedly. Across the street, the boy he’s hopelessly in love with kneels down to pet a shivering Chihuahua. Eren’s smile is as bright as ever, but Levi knows the sadness lingering behind those emerald green eyes, can read his former lover even from across the street. 

His phone chimes, a delicate little noise that Levi considers ignoring in exchange for a couple more minutes with Eren. When the device starts to ring, he rolls his eyes and gives in. 

“Hello?” He hasn’t really lost Eren. Not really. The space between them is just space, and space can be closed so easily. While he waits for Eren, Levi can fix his relationship with Erwin. He misses his best friend, misses what they were before Levi’s feelings got in the way. 

He gets into the car, sparing one last glance at Jaeger’s Veterinary Hospital before speeding away. When he comes back, they can be ErenandLevi again, but right now, Levi can handle the distance. 

 

“Ready?” Erwin asks. It’s a bit too late for the question. They’re both buckled into their seats, waiting for the plane to take off. Levi sends one last text to Hanji before shutting off his phone. 

“Yeah, just making sure shitty glasses doesn’t forget to leave out clean water for Lincoln.” He doesn’t have much to worry about when it comes to how well cared for Lincoln is in Hanji’s hands, but Levi still feels the need to send her a text. It’s more of a “I’m getting on the plane now” text anyway, a reminder to his other best friend that everything’s okay. 

“He’s the most spoiled dog I’ve ever met, you know,” Erwin say, nudging Levi with his elbow.  The plane’s roaring sounds in Levi’s ears. 

“What did you expect? He’s my dog.”

Things are so good between them, Levi and Erwin. There’s love here, like there always was, but it has turned from something toxic and one-sided to platonic and healthy. A piece of Levi is still missing, but he knows where that piece is, and he knows that one day, he’ll get it back. 

He settles into his seat, closing his eyes as he waits for the familiar feeling of the airplane gliding down the runway. Hawaii will be new. He hasn’t been to Hawaii yet, and this time he can enjoy the trip instead of worrying about pleasing Erwin. They’re just boss and employee on a business trip as well as two friends ready to act like best friends again. It feels good. Life feels good. 

“I can’t wait to see you with a tan,” Erwin snickers. Levi cracks open one eye and jabs hard at the other man with his elbow. 

“Shut the fuck up, eyebrows.” 

 

It’s raining, and Eren curses at himself for forgetting the umbrella at the clinic. He races down the street, fingers fumbling in his pockets for his car keys. Christmas lights are already strung up on some shops, even though it’s barely December. Eren slides into his car, shivering from the cold. He waits there for a minute for the heat to set in. The radio only plays Christmas themed music now, and he can only listen to Jingle Bells so many times before he wants to saw off his ears. His fingers dance on the dashboard, shifting through song after song. 

A car races past to pause at the red traffic light in front of Eren. He stares at it, his heart doing somersaults in his chest. It’s been a year, but he still jumps whenever he sees something that reminds him of Levi. This car, a gleaming Tesla that shines under the rain, makes Eren tighten his grip on his steering wheel. 

They weren’t supposed to stop talking to each other. Levi wasn’t supposed to just disappear off the planet. Eren can’t really blame him though, not after the abrupt way Eren ended things. It was cruel, but it was necessary. They both needed a fresh start. Still, that doesn’t mean he misses Levi any less. Everyday, Eren wakes up and goes to bed feeling like a jigsaw puzzle missing half of its pieces. 

He peels away from the curb and glides up behind the Tesla. 

The clinic is doing well. Lately, he’s been getting new clients that leave behind huge tips. For once, Eren’s not knee deep in debt. An entire year of pure focus on his business was all he needed to pick things up. He’s lucky, extremely lucky, and he feels like Levi had something to do with it considering the types of clients Eren’s been getting (business men and women in pristine suits that dote on their pets more than first-time mothers dote on their children). 

Eren groans when he realizes that he’s unconsciously followed the Tesla around a street corner. God, he misses Levi so much. The licence plate is all wrong, and Eren knows it’s not Levi in the driver’s seat, but he likes the familiar warmth that seeing the car brings. He follows it for another block, then turns down a different street. 

He keeps wishing his life is a movie, or a romance novel, and Levi will turn up at his door like he did that night. There’s disappointment every time Eren pulls up to his apartment and sees it empty, Levi-less. 

Levi wouldn’t be standing there tonight anyway. It’s raining, and he hates it when his suit gets wet. Eren turns the car down another street, driving past Levi’s office building just to see if fate is on his side tonight. He thinks he sees a tall blond man and someone that resembles Levi, but when he slows down to check, he sees that it’s just wishful thinking. 

Eren sighs, parking the car in front of a coffee shop and running inside. He needs something to drink on the way home, something warm and sweet. 

It’s a nice shop, not very crowded but not lacking in customers either. The atmosphere is warm, and the air smells like holiday, like Christmas and gingerbread. He orders a medium hot chocolate, cradling it in his arms as he pulls up the hood of his jacket. Eren steps foot out the shop, still pulling his hood up. There’s someone standing by his car, staring at the vehicle while holding an umbrella. Eren panics, thinks he’s about to get a ticket, and rushes past people trying to get out of the rain. 

The person turns, nearly hitting Eren with the umbrella. The man ducks, foot slipping on the wet pavement. He would have fallen, banged his head right on his car and made a complete fool of himself if the umbrella holding man hadn’t reached out to steady him. Eren feels hot chocolate running down his fingers and grimaces, whining at the way his skin burns. A gloved hand plucks the cup away from him and Eren looks away from the chocolate dripping down his hand. 

The rain has stopped. No, the umbrella is covering him. Eren wonders for a millisecond why a stranger would be bothering to help him out this much, then he looks into silvery gray eyes. 

The man in front of him has his head tilted to the side in amusement, and he’s grinning at the startled expression on Eren’s face. He’s not as pale as Eren remembers him. He’s somewhat slightly tan, and his hair has been slicked back. He’s wearing a dark blue suit that fits so fucking nicely on his body. Eren drools at the sight. 

“An entire year passes and you still never learned how to hold coffee right.” 

Honestly? Eren doesn’t give a fuck about his drink, doesn’t bother correcting Levi that it’s hot chocolate, not coffee because things are different now. He takes the umbrella from Levi’s hand and leans over to pull Levi into a tight hug. 

“I’ve missed you,” he says, voice shaky with emotion. There’s so many things he wants to say right now.  _ I miss you. How have you been? You never texted, or called. I still love you. I love you so goddamn much _ . Eren presses his lips against the side of Levi’s head, breathing in the familiar scent of soap. 

“Hey, brat. We’re going to get sick just standing out here like this.” Something in his voice tells Eren that Levi’s not really interested in moving from their position. He gives Levi another tight squeeze before pulling away. 

“There’s something different about you,” Eren says, unable to stop himself from grinning. Levi looks like he’s struggling with the same problem. 

“Yeah, I’ll tell you on the way home,” he pauses, “if that’s okay.” The hesitation shouldn’t even be there, Eren thinks. He’s already nodding before Levi can finish his sentence. 

“Definitely. Get in.” 

Levi doesn’t move immediately, which makes Eren wonders if he’s changing his mind. But then Levi chases all of Eren’s worries away by rising to the tip of his toes and pressing a kiss on Eren’s cheek. 

“I forgot how short you are,” Eren jokes. 

“Rude.” Levi slides into the passenger seat, leaving Eren on the curb, grinning like an idiot. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end of the fic, so I would like to thank everyone for your sweet comments and support. You guys really helped chase away the writer's block. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	13. One Hundred Ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's quite a bit of nsfw stuff in this chapter just a warning.

Eren’s staring at him too intently. Those emerald green eyes have the black haired man shifting in his seat, fingers tangled in his German Shepherd's fur to keep himself calm, still. Eren didn’t used to watch him this much, not with this inquisitive stare. It’s starting to become unnerving. Levi uncrosses his legs then cross them again, not sure what to do with himself. Eren’s seated across from him, his elbows balanced on his knees and his chin balanced in his palm. Sometimes, he squints, tilts his head as if he’s a scientist and Levi’s his newest specimen. He’s been like this ever since they walked through the front door.  
“Is something wrong?” Levi asks, finally finding his voice. “You keep staring at me. It’s creepy.” Eren chuckles, then leans back into the armchair.  
“I’m trying to figure out what it is,” he says before biting down on his lip. Levi swallows at the sight, remembering everything Eren can do with that mouth of his. Every sensual kiss. Every delicious, teasing word Eren likes to breathe onto Levi’s skin. Liked. Levi doesn’t know what Eren likes now. An entire year is a lot of time for people to change. Levi’s certainly changed. The dog at Levi's feet gets bored of listening in on their conversation and pads out of the room.  
Silver eyes narrow at Eren, studying the man like he has been doing for the past few minutes. Levi cocks his head, eyeing everything from the length of Eren’s hair to the tranquil way he carries himself, all at eased and untroubled.  
“You’re lighter,” Eren points out, much to Levi’s surprise. He arches an eyebrow, mocking a look of offense.  
“You’re saying I was fat?” he asks. Eren flusters at the accusation, and Levi feels something in him springs to life at the sight of his former lover’s blushing cheeks.  
“N-No! No, of course not. You were never fat. Not that there’s anything wrong with being fat! You’re-Um… You are not fat. You’re perfect. Your body’s perfect. Fuck, I’m an idiot.” He’s burying his head in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut and grimacing in embarrassment. Feeling a bit guilty for having caused Eren’s reaction, Levi reaches over and wraps his fingers around Eren’s wrist. He tugs.  
Eren falls apart at the seams, body coming loose of all the threads and stitchings holding it together to turn into a pile of tangled strings in Levi’s palm. An entire year, and Levi can still undo him with a single touch. Levi knows it, revels in it, jumps for joy at the realization.  
“I missed you,” he whispers, pulling Eren to his feet and onto Levi’s lap. “I kept dreaming about you.” Eren settles down, now in unfamiliar territory.  
Levi was never this confident, this bold. Eren was right. He’s different. They both are. Things are different now. Levi reaches up, caressing Eren’s still red cheeks with his hand. He wants to bring their lips together, wants to do a lot of things.  
“Not used to being swept off my feet,” Eren says, smiling. “What did you dream about?”  
“My favorite one is where we’re these two soldiers,” Levi begins, brushing aside Eren’s brown locks. “We wear green capes with this wing symbol on the back, and we’re fighting these big ass monsters, trying to save humanity. Horrible shit happens, and we both lose a lot of people we love.” They’re centimeters apart, feeling each other’s breath on their lips. Their eyes are hooded, wet lips parted, waiting for each other to make the first move. “But we find each other, and after all the fighting, we spend whatever time we have left together.” Levi leaves out the nightmares that go along with those dreams, the blood and the bodies and the pain.  
“You know,” Eren says, pressing his forehead against Levi’s. “I imagined us meeting again in more than one hundred ways. I daydream about it. Sometimes, I’d run into you on that same street, like the first time. Or you walk into the clinic with Lincoln, just to see me. Or I step out of my apartment and you’re standing there with flowers.”  
“What kinds of flowers?”  
“Does it matter?”  
Eren likes romantic movies, likes watching the epic kiss scene, the way the characters act like nothing is ever going to get better than this. He likes seeing how in love they are, how desperate they are to be in each other’s arms. He never thought he would feel like that too.  
Levi parts his mouth and traces a line with his tongue over Eren’s wet lips as they kiss, falling into each other like they’ve never been apart at all. They’re Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss. They’re Noah and Allie from The Notebook. They’re Jack and Rose on a never sinking ship. It doesn’t really matter at all who Eren and Levi are, what life they’re in, what universe. They’ll find each other again and again and again and again, as many times as it takes.  
Eren sucks a dark purple hickey onto the side of Levi’s neck, making the man throw his head back in an erotic moan. They’ve switched positions. Eren manipulates it so that he has Levi lying on his back on his prized white fur carpet, lips kissed a sensual red and eyes hazy with lust. Levi’s so sensitive, so beautiful in his now rumpled white dress shirt and unbuttoned black jacket. Eren’s still sitting on top of him, grinding his hips down every so often to elicit a lewd whimper from Levi. He loves every noise Levi makes, every desperate pant and whine begging for Eren to fill him. They’ve both missed this. Nothing, no one, compares to what they can give each other, the way they complete each other.  
“I love you,” Eren says in between kisses, hand shoving up Levi’s shirt. He feels something cold and hard and distinctively metal brush against his fingertips, and excitement shoots itself into Eren’s core. A piercing? What exactly had Levi been up to in the past year?  
But no. There’s a chain attached, thin and delicate and long enough to hang at around Levi’s naval. Eren pushes up Levi’s shirt to get a closer look, an act that Levi mistakens for lustful desperation.  
It’s a ring. A gold ring on a gold chain that Levi wears around his neck, hidden underneath his clothes.  
Eren’s mind pauses for a moment, working through all the logical explanations, but then he gets to the illogical ones, and his pulse speeds up with uneasiness instead of desire. He practically jumps off of Levi. Erwin. That fucking bastard. He has something to do with the ring; it’s the only thing that makes sense.  
“What’s wrong?” Levi asks, pushing himself up on his elbows to watch Eren pace the room. Then he looks down at himself and sees the ring. Eren groans inwardly. “Wait, let me explain.” Levi gets to his feet, quickly smoothing out his clothes before approaching Eren.  
“I don’t want to do this,” Eren says, looking away before Levi can flash him that pained look. “Him or me. That’s how it has to be, Levi. I can’t do this. I won’t. I don’t want you if you want someone else.” His clothes are already in his hands, then his keys. Eren shakes his head the entire time, in disappointment or anger he doesn’t know. “It’s unfair to me, you know that!”  
“Would you fucking listen?” Levi’s holding his hand again, gripping tight with fire in his eyes. Eren tells himself to run, to not fall for whatever excuse this is.  
“You have five minutes.”

  
“The sunset’s nice,” Erwin says. Levi glares up at him, at his tan, muscular body still dripping with water from his recent swim. Levi’s sitting here covered in sunscreen but Erwin gets to run around all smiles and cool in his sunglasses and swim trunks. Erwin looks like he belongs here, but Levi still looks like a fucking tourist. “I missed watching it with you.”  
“Aw, I missed you too, eyebrows.” Levi dusts sand off his shorts, then rights the towel. Erwin’s taken to lounging on the beach chair, casually nodding at scantily clad girls in bikinis as they pass. They always smile at Levi, making him wish he had a bright neon sign pointing to his head. Gay and taken, it would say in bold letters.  
“How was France?” Erwin runs a towel through his hair, splashing Levi with water every few seconds. The shorter man grumbles, considering if throwing back a handful of sand is enough revenge. Levi snaps his book closed, then grabs a beach chair as well.  
“Good. Farlan and Isabel asked when you’d be over for a visit.” Levi’s cousins attacked him with hugs the second he arrived on the front lawn of their home. The last time Levi saw them, Isabel and Farlan were children, barely ten years old. Now they’re teenagers, still as annoying as ever. They called him old and short and hugged him too often. He misses them already.  
“Maybe for Christmas,” Erwin says. “That would be nice, right Levi? You should bring a date.” Levi raises an eyebrow.  
“A date?” Erwin slips his sunglasses up on his head, messing up his still wet blond hair.  
“Yeah. Don’t you miss him?” Levi distracts himself by counting the freckles that seems to have mysteriously sprouted on Erwin’s tan cheeks. Sun does the man good, Levi thinks. “I think it’s time you go back. We’re all finished with business here, have been for like five months.” He sees Levi’s hesitation, can read his best friend like he’s his favorite book. “He loves you, and he probably misses you to death. Stop torturing the boy, Levi.”  
“But take him to meet my family in France?” That sounds like a step Levi’s not ready for. “I’m still not certain if…” What? If I love you still? Levi knows his feelings for Erwin are platonic now, so what is he still uncertain about?  
Erwin doesn’t answer for a long time. They watch the sun sink into the waters, dipping below the horizon until it’s completely out of sight. Erwin’s face is illuminated by the lamplight, all warm golden glows and comforting smiles. He’s digging in his pockets for something Levi can’t quite make out in the low light.  
“You gave me this a few years ago. You said this was your heart.” He holds out a gold ring, beautifully engraved with a pair of angel wings. Levi reaches for it immediately. “I don’t think it belongs to me anymore.”

  
“My father gave it to my mother when he asked her to marry him. She never went a day without it, said it was her heart. When she died, she gave it to me.” Levi fiddles with the chain, then takes it off completely to show Eren the shiny gold ring. He holds it up so that the light hits it just right, smiling at the ring with pure fondness. “I gave it to Erwin a long time ago. I probably thought it was a romantic thing to do, romantic enough that he would love me for it.”  
Eren feels numb, uncertainty coloring every single one of his thoughts.  
“He won’t ever be in love with me. Which is okay, because my heart isn’t his anymore.” Levi looks up, staring into Eren’s bright green eyes. Eren can tell what’s different about Levi now. He shines so much brighter than he did last year. “It’s mine.” Levi drapes the chain over his neck again and shrugs. “You can still walk away if-”  
“I should get a trampoline.”  
“What?”  
“Since I keep jumping to conclusions.” Eren smiles, embarrassed with himself. He steps forward until he’s in Levi’s arms again. Levi buries his head in the crook of Eren’s neck and sighs. “I’m sorry, Lee.”  
“I miss that. No one called me Lee in Hawaii.” Eren pulls them apart just for a moment, eyes wide with curiosity.  
“Hawaii, huh? That’s why you’re a little tanner than before.”  
“I mostly got sunburnt.”  
“My poor baby,” Eren teases, pulling Levi into a tight hug. “Want daddy to make it all better?” he asks in a low, breathy voice. Levi glares at him, but he can’t keep up the act for long when Eren’s kissing his way down Levi’s neck, peppering lingering kissing on his collarbones.  
“Fuck,” Levi moans out, shoving Eren back on the couch.  
They’re tangled in each other again, legs and arms moving to pull off shirts and pants. Levi runs his fingers through Eren’s messy brown hair while the other man unbuttons Levi’s shirt with his teeth, grinning smugly at Levi everytime he undos a button. Levi doesn’t take the shirt off, just lets it hang off his shoulders while Eren kisses his chest, tongue flicking a teasing lick over his nipples.  
Levi shivers, grabs a handful of Eren’s hair and pulls. It tickles, the tip of Eren’s nose trailing down Levi’s stomach as Eren continues his kisses. It makes Levi’s cock twitch. They both still have their pants on, which makes Levi more impatient than he’s willing to admit.  
He goes to work undoing the button on his pants, sliding off his belt while Eren teases his skin with bites and hickeys. When Levi gets to his underwear, Eren grabs his arms and throws them over his head, holding Levi still with one hand while tracing the outline of Levi’s dick through his underwear with the other hand. Levi whimpers, making such delicious sounds that Eren leans up to kiss him again, hot and heavy and sloppy.  
He pulls away, and there’s a string of saliva between them. Eren’s eyes are dark, the color of deep evergreen forests in the winter, hungry for warmth.  
“Get up.” He’s moving so fast, helping Levi to his feet and then on his back again, this time on the fur carpet.  
“What was the point of that?” Levi asks, laughing softly.  
“I like the way this looks,” Eren says, shrugging. “You’re beautiful either way, of course, no matter the scenery. I just like how you look on the white carpet. It brings out your eyes. It’s sexy.” Levi’s still laughing, which is sexier than anything else he can do. Eren kisses his cheeks.  
“I love you,” Levi whispers up to him, raising a leg so that he can press it between Eren’s thighs. Eren hisses in surprise, then bites down on Levi’s neck, not hard enough to hurt much.  
With surprising strength, Levi flips them so that Eren’s lying on his back. Levi works quick on Eren’s pants, telling the other man to raise his hips. Eren pushes himself up on his elbows to continue kissing Levi’s neck while Levi moves on top of him, grinding their hips together with shaky moans.  
Eren reaches around his lover to slide his fingers past the waistband of Levi’s briefs. He sits up, positioning them so that he’s leaning against the couch and Levi’s kneeling over his lap. Levi bends down to kiss Eren’s lips, tongue slipping into Eren’s mouth.  
Eren eases off Levi’s briefs, then pauses to bask in the sight in front of him. The tip of Levi’s cock is red and leaking precum. Levi, impatient and desperate to be touched and filled and fucked, kisses Eren hard, lowering his hip until the heads of their cocks are rubbing against each other. They make a mess between them, their dicks sticky with each other’s precum. Levi wraps his fingers around both cocks, presses them together and continues moving his hips. Eren’s fingers are spreading open Levi’s ass, leaving red marks on the supple flesh.  
Eren wraps an arm around Levi’s waist, holding him steady, then spanks Levi without warning. Levi yelps, gray eyes wide. He doesn’t protest when Eren raises his hand to do it again, so Eren does it again, leaving another red handprint on Levi’s beautiful ass. Levi whimpers, cries out against Eren’s lips. His hand hasn’t stopped stroking both their cocks, the pad of his thumb gliding over the throbbing red heads, smothering sticky precum along the shafts. Eren breaks their kiss, trails his tongue along Levi’s collarbone, then asks, “Can you get the lube for me, Lee?”  
Levi hops off him with a grumbled response that Eren isn't able to catch. Once he comes sauntering back, Levi's holding a bottle of lube and two unopened condom, which he makes them both put on to keep the carpet clean.  
Eren has Levi on his knees, head pressed to the carpet with white furs tickling his flushed cheeks. Levi twists to see Eren pouring a generous amount of lube on his fingers. He works his fingers into Levi slowly, gently, inserting only the pointer finger at first. Levi mews on the floor, pushing back on Eren's hand to tell him he wants more. Eren smirks, easing another finger into Levi's hole. He loves the way Levi looks, so desperate for more even as he's being fingered open. Eren fucks him with three fingers how, letting his free hand hold Levi steady.  
“Touch yourself for me,” Eren say. Levi does as he's told, hand flying to his cock.  
“I want you.” Eren kisses Levi's back, curling his fingers so that he hits Levi's prostate. The smaller man tenses, back arching beautifully in pleasure. Eren finger fucks Levi until Levi resorts to begging for his cock, whimpering and twisting on the floor like a little slut. “Please, daddy,” Levi lets out, surprising both of them. Eren pauses, lets the words fully wash over him.  
“You have a daddy kink?” Eren asks, although it sounds less like a question and more like a realization. Levi glares back at him.  
“Just fuck me!” Amused, Eren gives Levi's ass another slap, gentler this time.  
“Don't talk to daddy like that.” He coats his cock in lube then presses the tip against Levi's entrance. Levi moans, pushing his hips back to get Eren in him, but Eren's enjoying this too much to let Levi off that easily. He leans forward, grabs a handful of Levi's soft black hair, his body enveloping Levi's smaller one. “Do you want my dick, Lee? Want daddy to fuck you until you can't walk anymore?”  
“Y-yes,” Levi breathes out. His legs shake with want, thighs quivering because Eren's cock is still between his ass cheeks, teasing Levi's hole so cruelly.  
“Yes what, Levi?”  
“Yes, daddy.” He looks back at Eren, pupils so wide there's barely any room left for the gray in his irises. “Fuck me like I'm your slut.”  
“You are my slut, Lee.” Eren slams into him, eliciting a moan from them both. Levi's panting beneath him, crying out in a mix of pleasure and pain, screaming for Eren to fuck him harder and faster. Eren praises him with nearly every thrust, words tumbling out of his mouth no more comprehensible, too lost in pleasure. He calls Levi a good boy when he cums, and Levi repeats Eren's name like it's a mantra, shaking when he climaxes.  
Eren peels off the dirty condoms, then presses a kiss to Levi's temple and pulls him closer until they find a comfortable position on the floor. Levi nuzzles his face against Eren's chest and Eren smiles in pure bliss.  
“Love you,” Levi says, yawning.  
“I love you, too.” Eren brushes hair out of Levi's face, then kisses him again just because he looks so adorable lying in Eren's arms.  
“Do you want to come meet my family for Christmas?” Levi's tracing random patterns with his finger on Eren's chest. Eren knows him well enough now to know that he's trying not to look nervous.  
“Of course. I would love to.”  
“They live in France.”  
“That's number 84.”  
“What?”  
“The 84th way we meet again. I backpack through Europe and find you in a little cottage in France. You're eating banquets and croissants.” Levi laughs and Eren joins in, wishing this moment lasts forever.  
“I'm serious though.”  
“I know. I don't care if they live on the fucking moon. I would love to meet anyone that's important to you. I love you.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked reading this chapter as much as I liked writing it! Finals week is killing me but ereri always manages to brighten my mood. The next chapter is probably going to be the last chapter, which is sad, but it'll be a nice fluffy Christmas chapter! Thank you for all the comments and kudos and to those of you also enduring finals week, good luck!


	14. I Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter and it skips forward two years. I can't believe this took so long, I'm so sorry. Thank you for sticking with me throughout the entire fic, and I hope you enjoy this last chapter cause it was my favorite to write.

_You’re all I need_ , Levi. Eren whispers the words, softly, delicately, letting his voice drift off into the shadows of their room. Each syllable vibrates inside of Levi, bouncing off his bones and lighting up his nerves until he feels like there are fireworks exploding inside of him. Until he’s nothing more than a clear night sky on the fourth of July.  
But the words aren’t true.  
Eren needs more than Levi. People need more than other people. They need water, air, shelter, food. Sleep. Levi drags a fingertip across Eren’s rising and sinking chest. The man’s breathes are tranquil, a steady rhythm in time with Levi’s own.  
Sex is great, as it always is with Eren -rough and passionate enough to leave Levi breathless and seeing stars- but he prefers these quiet moments after. There’s nothing like lying in Eren’s arms, listening to his peaceful breathing as both of them drift off to sleep. Eren likes to hold Levi close, as if the man might slip away while Eren’s asleep. Levi did once, to get a glass of water from the kitchen, and found Eren sitting up in bed when he returned.  
They move together now, two people synchronized, more in tune than a world class symphony orchestra. When Levi wakes, so does Eren, and even though Eren’s eyes are closed now, Levi knows he isn’t asleep. Knows that if Levi calls his name, Eren would mutter a soft hum in response.  
Levi shifts to find a more comfortable position, and Eren loosens the arm around Levi’s waist.  
“Go to sleep, Lee.” No one else called him Lee besides his departed mother, and Eren. But then they visited Levi’s relatives in France for Christmas two years ago and Eren had somehow accidentally gotten everyone to follow in his footsteps. Every phone call to Isabel and Farlan now always has Levi grumbling about how they refuse to call him by anything other than his nickname. It’s infuriating.  
Eren blinks open his eyes to stare at Levi. If his head wasn’t pressed to the pillow, he’d cock it in expectation. Levi blinks back, not sure what to say, or what Eren’s waiting for.  
“You’re hair’s getting long,” Levi mumbles, reaching over to twirl a strand of dark brown with his fingers. Eren chuckles, the sound soft and barely audible. It sends chills up Levi’s skin.  
“That’s what’s keeping you up? The length of my hair?” Levi’s fingers release the strands in favor of pressing his palm against Eren’s warm cheek. Eren’s always warm, which is nice because Levi’s hands are always cold. Eren shifts his head to press a kiss into Levi’s palm.  
“I love you.” They’ve been together for two years, and Eren’s emerald eyes still light up with joy every time Levi says those three words. They are like magic, Levi’s own little secret weapon when Eren’s having a bad day. He whispers it over and over and over when Eren comes through the door of their home with a frown and furrowed brows. The way Eren looks, faint blush on his tan cheeks, lips parted in a grin, and eyes hazy with a mixture of love and adoration and sleepiness, makes Levi want to repeat himself. So he does, and Eren pulls him into a sweet kiss before Levi can even finish the last syllable.  
As always, Levi’s cheeks heat up. His entire body does, actually, like Eren is a sun and Levi’s standing impossibly close. He keeps waiting for the heat to burn him out. It never does. Their fingers weave together as Eren touches Levi’s forehead with his. Levi lets his eyes drift to their hands, palms pressed close like the rest of their bodies.  
“Pancakes for breakfast?” Eren asks, words slightly slurred from sleep. He kisses down Levi’s jawline, then lazily mouths at Levi’s neck. He shivers and inches away.  
“If we don’t sleep now, we’ll never wake in time for breakfast,” he complains. When he looks up, Eren’s grinning. His eyes are lidded, more from sleepiness than anything else, but the green orbs are still so playful.  
“Pancakes for brunch, then.” He ruffles Levi’s hair, which Levi pretends to hate. Eren ignores the scowl on his lover’s face and drapes an arm around Levi’s waist. “You’re the one who won’t go to sleep.”  
In response to Eren’s accusation, Levi huffs and snuggles into Eren’s arms. He allows the taller man to place another kiss on his cheek, their limbs tangling together as they settle against each other. As they both drift off to sleep, Levi mumbles another _I love you_ , but it’s too low and soft for Eren to hear. Which is alright; Eren already knows.

  
They end up having cereal for breakfast, because Eren pressed snooze on Levi’s alarm. He claims it was accidental, but that didn’t save him from the pillow Levi whacks him with. Eren’s pouring milk into his bowl when Levi comes rushing down the hallway, his dog trailing behind him.  
“You’re still eating?” Levi asks, tugging on his shoes. Eren nods between mouthfuls of milk and Lucky Charms. It’s Hanji’s cereal that Levi only keeps in the house for her, but there’s no other cereal besides Levi’s healthy oats stuff.  
“I’m hungry. All I had for dinner last night was a ham sandwich.” Levi slips his arms through the sleeves of a sweatshirt, and Eren licks his lips at the way the material clings to his boyfriend’s body. “Are you going for a run?” Eren already knows the answer, but the question is part of their routine.  
“Yeah. I’ll be back soon. I love you.”

  
Eren leaves the cereal bowl in the sink even though Levi hates it when he does that and goes into their bedroom. He should shower, but it’s too early and he’d rather wait until Levi comes back from his run. Usually, Eren joins him. He doesn’t know why Levi was in such a rush to get out of the house this morning.  
Eren’s trying to find a suitable shirt for later when the doorbell rings. He leaves the bedroom and heads to the front windows. On the porch, Mikasa and Erwin stand waiting awkwardly. Erwin adjusts the cuffs of his sleeves while Mikasa pretends to study the front door. They’re both already dressed, even though the wedding isn’t until noon.  
“Did you two-”  
“We got here at the same time. It’s a coincidence,” Mikasa says as soon as Eren opens the door.  
“Okay…” It’s not that she doesn’t like Erwin. Mikasa just doesn’t know what to make of him. The feeling must be mutual, because Erwin clears his throat and strolls into the house uninvited.  
“Good morning, Eren,” he says as he brushes pass. Mikasa follows, and they all make their way to the living room.  
“Levi’s out running with Lincoln,” Eren says. He feels so strange standing there in pajamas while Erwin’s in a tux and Mikasa’s wearing a dress. He doesn’t remember the last time he saw Mikasa wear a dress. He opens his mouth to say just that, but she glares at him, so he asks if anyone wants something to drink instead.  
The house is warm, toasty, because even though it’s the middle of spring, Levi likes to keep the heat running. It drives Eren crazy. He wishes Mikasa and Erwin weren’t here (or at least not in their formal clothes) so that he can take off his shirt. The humming of the heater dulls when Eren’s sneaky fingers slide it off. Levi can yell at him for it later.  
“Aren’t you going to get dressed?” Erwin asks suddenly, eyeing Eren’s striped pajama pants and generic t-shirt. The brown haired man tugs at his clothes, self-conscious at the way Erwin raises a bushy eyebrow.  
“I have to take a shower first,” Eren says, as if that clears everything up. Why are they here so early anyway? Even Levi’s not dressed and ready, and Levi’s never anything less than early to fucking everything. That drives Eren crazy, too.  
“Then go shower.” He rolls his eyes at Mikasa, who is inspecting a rack of records. They’re Eren’s, and they’re nothing Mikasa but hasn't seen before, but she still flips through them with curiosity.  
“I’m waiting for Levi.” Eren hears the sound of barking and tilts his head towards the front door instinctively.  
“Why would you wait for Levi to shower…?” The sentence slows to an awkward silence as Mikasa registers what Eren meant. Her cheeks warm to a rosy blush as the front doors open and a German Shepard strolls in. He’s breathing heavily and his tongue is hanging out of his mouth, but Lincoln still jogs up to tackle Eren onto the carpet.  
“Hey.” _Levi_. Eren gives Lincoln’s head another rub, then grins up at his boyfriend. Levi gives him a casual nod, but his eyes linger, soft and hesitant. “You’re both dressed.” Levi clears his throat, then runs a hand through his hair.  
“I had nothing else to do,” Mikasa says while Erwin just shrugs. Eren still has no idea why they’re here. The plan was to meet up at that fancy garden place for the wedding.  
“How was your run, Levi?” The way Erwin says _run_ makes Eren frowns. He stressed it too much, lingered too long on the syllable. Eren looks to Levi to see if he also feels confused, but Levi’s expression is blank. Across the room, Mikasa stares, suddenly interested.  
“It was good,” Levi answers. “Productive.”  
“Am I missing something?” Eren asks. None of the three standing in front of him offers him any answer. “Okay… I’ll just be in the shower, then.” He looks at Levi, asking silently if the other man wants to join.  
“I have to go over some business with Erwin. Go ahead.” Eren makes a face in response. Levi _never_ says no to shower sex, especially after his run. But Eren doesn’t say anything. He scratches his head, then makes his way to the bathroom.

“Eren, you missed the turn. Again.” Levi looks up from his phone to frown at the road. They’ve been driving in circles, or Eren’s been driving while Levi gives him directions. “The light was red, Eren.”  
Eren taps his fingers against the wheel, wondering why the hell he offered to drive in the first place. They’re still more than early, but he can tell Levi’s getting impatient. The shorter man squirms in his seat, hand going up to needlessly adjust his tie. Eren wants to do the same, but Levi keeps snapping at him when he takes a hand off the steering wheel.  
“Turn here?” Eren asks, flicking on his turn signal. Levi hums in response. “Is everything okay?” The question comes out weird, too timid, his voice too low. Eren clears his throat.  
“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” Levi turns his phone, studying the map on the screen. “It should be on the left.”  
“You’ve been…” he searches for the right word, “distant all morning.” No, that isn’t quite right. Eren winches as the sentence registers over Levi’s face and a hint of worry clouds his grey eyes.  
“I’m sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.” Levi raises his hand, as if to run his fingers through his hair, but then remembers he had slicked it back and doesn’t want to mess it up. His hand falls to his lap, and Eren reaches over to grasp it. Levi parts his lips to tell Eren to put his hand back on the wheel, but the words don’t come out. He smiles instead, and squeezes Eren’s warm fingers. “If something’s wrong, I’d tell you,” Levi reassures him. Eren takes his eyes off the road to look at him for a second, although it feels like longer, before nodding.  
“I’m nervous,” he says, switching the topic. “I have to give a speech.” The paper is folded up in his jacket pocket, wrinkled from all the times he played with its surface. It didn’t take Eren long to write the speech; he has always known what he wants to say when Armin gets married. Levi gives Eren’s hand another squeeze.  
“You have it memorized, and everyone’s a familiar face.” They pull up to a parking lot crowded with cars. “Armin will love it.”  
“You think so?” Eren bits down on his bottom lip. Levi nods and flashes Eren a gentle smile.

His hand goes up to worry the ring usually dangling from his neck, but it isn’t there. Levi settles for smoothing out his tie instead. On the dancefloor, Armin and Jean are wrapped around each other, swaying to the music. Armin, clad in a white suit, looks stunning as he pulls Jean around the dancefloor, the other man not as steady on his feet as his new husband is. The blond blushes when Jean leans down to whisper into his ear, then he laughs. The song ends, and people are invited to join the couple on the dancefloor. Levi looks at Eren with a desperate grimace.  
“You promised me one dance, Lee,” Eren laughs.  
“Can I get in on this?” Hanji asks. She’s seated to Levi’s left while Eren’s on his right. “Promise me one dance, too, _Lee_.”  
“I swear to god, Hanji-”  
“Be nice. No cursing at my wedding.” Armin slides up to them and grabs a seat next to Eren. “Am I supposed to feel this tired?” he asks. Despite his complaint, Armin’s eyes are alight, wide bright blue orbs that glitter like crystals. He can’t take them off of his new husband. “Levi,” Armin says suddenly. He stares at Levi expectantly, but doesn’t say anything else. Eren looks between the two with confusion. “Your tie is nice. Did you go to the store I told you about?”  
“Yeah. Thanks for that, by the way.” Armin nods like he’s suddenly the expect on ties. “They took a while but I got it.”  
“Got what?” Eren asks.  
“The tie, obviously,” Hanji supplies. She rolls her eyes at Eren, then reaches over to give the boy a playful shove.  
“Are you hiding here?” Jean walks up to them, looking tired, but beyond happy. He ruffles Eren’s hair.  
“Nope. Just taking a break.” Armin holds out a hand and Jean takes it, dragging him to his feet. “Come join us,” Armin says. He points towards the dancefloor and the group of people moving along with the beat.  
“Not a chance, blond coconut.” Armin grins at the nickname Levi gives him.  
“I told you about the tie place, so you owe me one. Come on, it's my wedding day.” No can say Armin's not brave or manipulative, because he blinks his wide blue eyes at Levi and pulls the frowning man to his feet. Levi mumbles some curses under his breath, but goes along anyway.  
“I can't believe Armin got you to dance,” Eren teases. The song is slow, a ballad. Levi sighs when Eren wraps an arm around his waist and pulls him closer. Hanji seems to have disappeared with Moblit.  
“It's his wedding day,” Levi says.  
“So since this dance is for Armin, you still owe me another one.” Eren smirks when Levi glares up at him.  
“Fine, brat.” Emerald eyes widen in surprised. Eren bends and captures Levi in a kiss.  
“I didn't think you'd say yes.” He watches Levi's cheeks heat up with a smile.  
“When have I said no to you?” Eren answers by kissing Levi again, leaving the shorter man flustered.  
“You said no to shower sex,” Eren whispers in his ear. It only makes Levi blush more. They're close enough for Levi to hear the steady thumping of Eren's heart.  
“I-I had to go over something with Erwin.”  
“You turned me down for work?” Eren teases, faking a wounded voice.  
“I'll make it up to you.” Levi tilts up his head to kiss Eren, but the taller man pulls back and makes Levi reach up for him.  
“I want four dances,” Eren breathes out when they pull apart. His heartbeat picks up at the way Levi parts his lips in panic. _He's adorable_ , Eren thinks.  
“No.” They're still swaying to the beat. Levi shuffles his feet, feeling awkward and self-conscious and worried about-  
“Three dances?” Eren's lips hover above Levi's and it makes Levi's heart thump away in his chest. For a fleeting moment, he wonders if Eren can hear how loud his heart is, wonders if the whole room can hear it. Levi shakes his head.  
“Two and half?” Eren closes his eyes, lends their foreheads against each other, and hums to the song. He tightens his grip on Levi's waist and leads them around the dancefloor. The other people disappear, and it's just Eren and Levi (at least in Levi's mind that's what happens). Eren leads them out in the gardens, where the music filters through the speakers and there are fewer people.  
Two and a half dances is okay. Levi's willing to settle, especially when Eren looks like he's completely at peace, lost in the music, in Levi. A green eyes lifts open to peak at Levi. The shorter man looks away, cheeks still red. He feels like a teenager at prom dancing with his crush.  
“I like you,” Levi stutters out, face feeling like it's on fire. He realizes what he just said and buries his head in Eren's chest.

  
“You _like_ me?” Eren asks, amused. He laughs quietly. “That's good. Because we're dating, and it would be weird if you don't like me.” The spring night air is cool on Levi's cheeks, but he still feels like he's burning up from the inside. “I like you too, Lee.” Eren's eyes are closed again. He presses their foreheads together and sighs. “I like you a lot.”  
Levi sighs too, then realizes he's been holding his breath.  
“Do you like me enough to marry me?” The question is so soft, barely audible, that a few seconds passes before Eren reacts. He pulls away, breaking their embrace. Levi fidgets under his stare. “Um, I meant to ask this in a better way. I got the ring this morning. Well, it's my mom's ring.” Levi reaches into his pocket and holds out a box.

Inside is his gold ring, his heart. He holds it out to Eren. “I got resized at this store Armin told me about. Erwin, Hanji, Armin, Mikasa, and the others wanted to watch, but we're here and you're… You’re _perfect_ , and I just…I love you so much.” Levi hesitates, biting down on his lip. He reluctantly lets go of Eren's hand. “You don't have to say yes.” His heart is pounding. He feels like it's impossible to breathe. It's okay if Eren says no. Levi’s capable of handling rejection after all those years with Erwin. “I mean, we've only been dating for two years, and before that, we spent an entire year apart, so-”  
“Lee.” Gray eyes snap up, worried and shifting. Eren laces their fingers again, and guides Levi back until they're close enough to hear each other's heartbeats. The ring and its box balance in both their hands. “When have I ever said no to you?”  
“Is that-Is that a yes?” Levi doesn't let himself relax, not yet.  
“Yes. Yes, Levi. I want to marry you. I want to be your husband. I want you to be my husband. I love you. I love you so much. I'd give you the entire universe if that was possible.”  
It isn't possible. But Levi doesn't want the universe anyway. He wants Eren. He wants Eren and everything that Eren comes with. He's not aware of the tears in his eyes until Eren swipes a thumb over his cheeks. Levi brings up a hand to wipe his eyes, but Eren tilts up his chin and kisses him, passionately, like there's nothing else either of them would rather be doing. And there isn’t.

 

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr's OrangeJuiceHP if anyone has questions or comments.


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